Trading Cards
by The Painted Green Door
Summary: AU. Pippa Coulson has a whole collection of vintage Captain America trading cards much to her delight, to the amusement of Steve Rogers and to the dismay of… Takes place during 'The Avengers'.
1. PART ONE: Prologue

Welcome! Thank you for taking the time to read _Trading Cards_.

I don't want to bore you with a very long author's note but I do have to address a couple of things:

1\. Even though this idea had been residing in my head for quite some time I originally had no intention on actually taking the time and writing it down on paper (as you can see I am very shy about my writing). I always though Avengers fanfictions would be quite intimidating to write yet after much debate I have decided to take the time to post it.

2\. In a perfect and ideal world I would be updating every week but I can safely say that will not happen due to the fact that life is very busy. _You have been warned_.

3\. If this story is not your type of _Bertie Bott's Bean Flavour_, please leave it unharmed so some other lad or lass can enjoy it to the fullest extent. Thank you.

4\. Disclaimer: I do not own 'The Avengers' or MARVEL in any way. The only thing I own is my brain and story plot.

5\. I should also say this now: **Pippa Coulson has a deep admiration for Captain America.** She sees him as Captain America, not Steve Rogers. I guess you could say she see's him a just the hero thus resulting in a 'hero-worship' kind of attitude towards him initially. Know that first of all **I do not condone these kinds of relationships and that I support healthy honest relationships.** If an initial 'hero-worship'/deep admiration kind of attitude bothers you, then please refer back to my third (3rd) point. **I can promise you though that that kind of attitude Pippa holds towards the Captain is temporary.** Thank you.

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**Important: This story takes place during 'The Avengers'. Although their ages were never actually listed, I have decided on the following ages (or at least the age they physically appear to be) for the following characters (even though I do recognize that Captain America would be around the age of 90 and both Thor and Loki are Norse Gods): Captain America (26), Iron Man (29), Hawkeye (28), Black Widow (28), Hulk (32), Thor (27), Loki (24), Pippa (26).**

I think that about sums it up. So if you will, please sit back, relax and enjoy _'Trading Cards'_.

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**TRADING CARDS**

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**By: The Painted Green Door**

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**Prologue:**

She let her fingers gloss over the plastic covering, admiring the patriotic colors even though they were rather faded due to the love of their previous owners and time itself. Pippa smiled to herself as she ran her right hand quickly through her dark golden brown hair which had been lately boasting some sun kissed streaks thanks to the sunny weather the Mojave Desert was infamous for.

The young agent couldn't believe the sight before her. She had been working tirelessly ever since she was a young girl and her father had given her a small collection of four Captain America trading cards for her sixth birthday. Although most of her peers at the time would have been disappointed at such a present, she was over the moon when she received them. It quickly became an obsession, her lifelong goal, to collect all of them. Some of her coworkers thought she was silly to have such a hobby, but she refused to be discouraged.

And in the end it had all paid off.

Pippa Coulson glanced down at the one singular card that lacked the plastic protection the other cards were encased in. She picked it up, her thumb running over the faded ink and playing with the slightly frayed edges of the rectangle piece of paper. Even though she had studied this card and had memorized every single detail, the trading card still managed to amaze her.

"I finally found you." She murmured as she gently let her thumb swipe over the picture of Captain America's face. The brunette stared at the card for a few moments longer, knowing that at any time Nick Fury, her superior, could decide to sweep into the room and catch her off duty.

With a reluctant sigh the agent carefully opened up the plastic cover in order to, at last, add the final card to her prized collection of her vintage Captain America trading cards. With great concentration she tried to insert the card in the slippery plastic sheet, having great difficulty as usual.

"Nick Fury is about 49.3 seconds away from entering this room."

Pippa could feel the minty breath near her ear and she jumped out of her seat, dropping her prized trading card in the process. She turned to see Agent Barton standing there with an amused look on his face.

"Dammit Barton!" Pippa scowled as she leaned over to pick up the fragile card she had been searching after for quite a considerable amount of time. Thirteen months at the least, eighteen months at the most.

Before her slender fingers could even graze the surface Barton had scooped it up, flipping the card expertly between his thumb and forefinger. Pippa huffed in annoyance as she sunk back down in her seat, silently cringing at how the expert bowman was treating her prized possession.

"At the very least could you treat it _gently_?" Pippa squeaked, her gray stormy eyes following the movement of the card just like a predator does to its prey before it decides to pounce. Much to her continued dissatisfaction Barton decided to ignore her wishes. She narrowed her eyes as he began toying with the frayed edges, "I'll have you know that card is a historic piece and you're interfering with its preservation."

Clint rolled his eyes but gave her the card back nevertheless. The agent scrambled eagerly to receive the card and gently slipped it in the protective shield of plastic. With a satisfied sigh she then closed her trading card binder gently and slipped it under some work papers, planning to sneak another look at the completed masterpiece if she gained another chance.

"A thank you would have sufficed." The young archer told her as he leaned against her desk and crossed his arms in front of his chest. He watched silently as she shuffled some papers and decided to ignore his comment. He was silent for a few moments, letting her work in peace before he decided to speak up again, "I'll never understand your fascination with Captain America."

"Agent Barton, don't you have something to do?" Pippa asked without her eyes leaving the stack of papers that were in front of her. _" Such as flying back to your nest or shooting some arrows?"_ she thought silently. Barton studied her figure for a few moments before he stood up.

"The name's Clint." He offered as he stretched a little, perhaps out of boredom or maybe it was because of the strenuous training he decided to do early that morning. Pippa turned to him, leaning back in her chair in a relaxed position, "I know that Agent Barton." She pursed her lips before continuing, "It says so in your file."

"Agent Barton, aren't you supposed to be in your nest?"

Pippa glanced up to see Nick Fury striding into the room, taking his usual place in the center so he could overlook the whole operating room. She found herself smirking ever so slightly in amusement. Not that she would share that with anyone but herself. She watched as Agent Barton's spine went rigid at the sound of his voice but then recovered.

"Yes sir." He said calmly before he left her work station without sparing another glimpse towards Pippa's direction.

Of course the director wasn't going to let Pippa off the hook, he never spared anyone his wrath when it came down to it, "And Agent Coulson, aren't you supposed to be finishing up your report that's been already late by two days?" he asked, giving her a sharp gaze. If she was being completely honest, his irritation that was radiating off him combined with his pointed look reminded Pippa of an ogre. A very mad ogre.

Pippa could feel the color drain from her face at the thought but managed to squeak out a "Yes sir!" before diving back into her paperwork, her mind still focusing on her vintage Captain America trading cards.

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Goal til next update: **5+ Reviews**

**Note:** Thank you for taking the time to read _Trading Cards_. I hope you enjoyed it. If you did in fact enjoy the story, if you could be so kind to take the time to leave a review and jot down your thoughts I would be very thankful.

Much love,

The Painted Green Door


	2. Trading Heat

**Note:** I'm so sorry for the huge gap between updates. You guys waited so patiently that I'll post my Author's Note at the end except for the part where I thank **MariMart** for the supportive words. Please read my Author's Note (which will be posted at the end) as there's some** important things** I would like to address. Thank you.

**Goal til Next Update: Total of 15+ Reviews. **

(Is it weird that I like increments of five? My small dash of OCD is kicking in.)

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_I close my eyes and fall asleep._

_All eyes on me._

_Your eyes on me._

_\- Sinking Man_ by Of Monsters &amp; Men

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**Chapter One:**

* * *

_She shuddered. _

_A chill crept down her spine, an icy grip threading through her bones and taking ahold of her. A draft was working its way throughout the space making her neck prickle at the thought. No doubt goosebumps were appearing on her skin, making their presence known._

_To Pippa it was a strange feeling. She expected warmth from the daunting sun's rays and the unrelenting humidity that seemed to be accompanied with the California heat. To her calculations it was supposed to be summertime._

_Yet where was the long awaited season?_

_Pippa managed to suppress the shiver that threatened to shake her whole body. How long would she have to endure in order to see spring-to feel spring?_

_The impact suddenly hit her. A soft yet defiant thud signaling a sudden change-a sudden transition. A warm encasing feeling fell around her body easing away the painful frigid bite that had latched itself on her bones only moments ago. A sigh of content fell across her lips and she silently appreciated the warmth that was casted upon her._

_She willed her fingertips to brush against her arms, eager to feel the warmth upon the pads of her own fingers but instead she felt something that wasn't her own skin. Pippa knew the texture yet she couldn't place it. It seemed so familiar, so close. She begged her mind to focus and try to figure out the strange yet familiar material. _

_Suddenly a small gasp slid through her lips as realization dawned on her. Of course, it was-_

* * *

Her eyelids flew open to reveal her grey eyes despite the heavy sleepy feeling that was laced through her eyes seeming as if she had just awoken from long months of hibernation. Pippa blinked a few times, trying to adjust her eyes from the lighting that beamed down. After a few moments her eyes adjusted making her notice she was facing the world sideways. With a stifled groan she lifted her head from her desk, her neck already stiff and gaining a slight ache.

She automatically checked to make sure that no drool was on her face (something she did ever since the first (and last) time she awoke with the embarrassing deep sleep result on her chin. She was six when that happened but she never forgot the sheer humiliation she went through). Once she was sure there was no trace she then felt the familiar fabric that she was wrapped in.

Her guess was right.

A gray thick wool blanket was swaddled around her shoulders neatly resembling a makeshift shawl. She recognized instantly that it was one of the blankets the medical department kept, the kind that could quickly create heat and restore your body temperature. They were meant for emergency situations such as a subject falling into freezing temperature waters or if someone's body temperature was rising or falling at an extreme rate.

Pippa herself never wore one but she had seen some agents tightly bundled in these blankets when she visited the medical department time to time. She never had the audacity to ask why they were sheltered in the gray thick blankets. She didn't have to. She knew that when someone was accompanied by these blankets it was always a bad situation. Most times she saw the employee up and about a few days later in the hallway but sometimes there was the rare case that the a staff member of S.H.I.E.L.D. had passed away and a funeral was hastily being arranged for them.

"_Too depressing."_ Pippa thought, wishing she could think of happier things but her mind seemed content to stay on the subject. Pippa silently mused of all the brave lives that had been lost. Although S.H.I.E.L.D. was proud to say there were not many that had sacrificed their lives, there was still a small number who had lost their lives.

It then occurred to her drowsy mind that someone must have fetched this from the medical department (which was a good stretch of the legs-no means a short walk) and wrapped the blanket around her sleeping figure. The sleepy headed agent wondered who it could have possibly done such a kind act.

"_Perhaps Maria."_ Pippa proposed silently to her conscience. Agent Hill had become a good friend. It was inevitable since Maria was the one who was assigned to show Pippa around when she first arrived. Between Maria's welcoming attitude and Pippa's eagerness to learn (and the fact that she volunteered to do the coffee runs much to Maria's delight) they had become fast friends. It wouldn't be a ridiculous notion if Maria had been laid a blanket across her shoulders; she had the good natured attitude to do such a kind deed.

"_But,"_ Pippa suddenly remembered, _"Maria left earlier than me and wished me good luck on my report. There would be no reason for her to come back."_

The brunette racked her brain to try and remember any coworkers that were still present in the building when she was working tirelessly to finish her already late report.

"I refuse to even consider that it might have been Fury." Pippa whispered to herself, feeling the color leave her face. Pippa noticed that Fury had been in a rather sour mood during the day and there was no way that Fury would have taken the time or even had the time to bring a blanket to her. Besides Fury wouldn't have even brought a blanket to her in the first place, he would have woken her up with a scathing look and she would have been tempted to hide from him and his glares for the rest of her life. And to further confirm to herself that it was not in fact Director Fury, she told herself she would have never have fallen asleep at her desk if she knew there was a possibility he would have walked in and caught her.

When finally no one came to mind she gave a small frown, frustrated she couldn't figure out the mysterious person who was considerate enough to take the lengthy walk and bring back a blanket.

She closed her eyes, drawing the blanket closer to her and appreciating the warmth it created. She could now testify that these blankets indeed kept you warm and sheltered. She let her right hand glide over the cozy fabric and stop at the hem of the large heavy blanket. It was then that she heard the soft hum of the vent. She peeked up to see the vent above her desk that was blowing a cold blast of air.

"No wonder I was cold." Pippa mumbled to herself sleepily as her eyes closed and sleep threatened to drag her back into its dark realm.

With a sudden small start, her knee bumping against the desk, and a quick burst of energy Pippa quickly opened her eyes and searched for the papers she had been focusing on before she must have fallen asleep.

Hurriedly glancing at her wrist she mentally scolded herself. She couldn't believe she was so foolish for believing that she could trust herself to take a mere 'five minute rest'. Instead, she had been asleep for a good solid two hours give or take a couple of minutes, the time 3:47 staring back at her. Turning her attention to the scattered papers on her desk Pippa quickly tried to organize her report which seemed an impossible task since the pages weren't numbered. With a groan of despair Pippa reached for her coffee mug (which was proudly boasting patriotic colors-a birthday gift from Maria two years ago) bracing herself for the bitter taste of the once hot drink that had long since gone cold.

Instead when she grasped the mug she was greeted with a warm mug and a small cloud of steam arising from the cup of coffee. Surprised, the gray eyed agent clasped the mug in her two hands, appreciating the warmth the pottery had to offer. With a hesitant sip she gave a hearty sigh as she swallowed, greatly welcoming the freshly brewed coffee that was made just the way she liked it: a spoonful of sugar and a dash of cream.

It was clear to the young agent that whoever swathed her in a blanket also refilled her coffee mug. With a quick glance around the room which seemed to be empty she voiced her gratitude, hoping that the kind hearted person knew that Pippa was immensely grateful.

"Thank you."

Her voice echoed slightly in the room and with a small nod she turned back to her work, busying herself with finishing the report she hoped to finish by the time the director arrived.

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Pippa fell out of her seat.

"Agent Coulson, I hope you realize that when you're at work I expect you to work." Director Fury spoke as he glared down at her, not bothering to help her up. Her cheeks burned as she felt some curious glances that were fixed on her. Fury continued, "Do you have your report?"

She nodded quickly trying to organize her thoughts under pressure, "Ah um yes." She mumbled, stumbling up and licking her dry lips before quickly sliding the heavy finished report, which was originally lying on her desk, towards his hands. He took it without a word giving her a skeptical look before briefly flipping through the pages. A satisfied nod from him filled Pippa with relief.

"It looks satisfactory." He offered. Pippa supposed 'satisfactory' was the highest form of compliment she would probably receive and took it graciously. She gave him a small nod in response as she tried to sneakily run a hand through her hair, knowing she probably looked like a mess.

He continued to look at her as if he was trying to figure out a complex problem which for some reason made Pippa rather uncomfortable. After a few more moments he cleared his throat, "Agent Coulson when you have a free moment, which I'm sure I can be assured that you do since you feel inclined to sleep, check on Dr. Selvig. He seems to be forgetting that writing weekly reports are an expectation that comes with the job. "

Leaving a fuming Pippa behind the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. glanced at her, "I sent Romanoff on a flight at 2:38 this morning to Russia. Make sure we stabilize communications between her and here." He paused, turning to glance at her, "Oh and by the way Agent Coulson, you have a bit of drool on the left side of your face."

With a burning red face the agent quickly touched her face, hoping that his observation was incorrect. Unfortunately for her, her fingers felt the dried drool and she quickly rubbed it off, silently hoping none of her coworkers had witnessed her drool stained face. Once she was certain that all signs of drool were nonexistent she glanced down at her desk, tempted to melt into the floor from her mortification she had awoken to.

Instead a pale yellow sticky note caught her eye which was placed neatly on her coffee mug, the contents of it cold. Her eyes widened as she read the scrawl that was slightly messy but by no means illegible.

_You're welcome._

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**Note:** I have a few things to address.

1\. First of all, thank you so much for all of the support you guys have shown. Never think for even a moment that I am not thankful for the love, support and encouragement you have shown me and _Trading Cards._ I thank you all from the bottom of my heart and love you all. I wish I could hug you all. **You guys mean the world to me.**

2\. Secondly I apologize sincerely that it has taken an extended amount of time to post this. I had planned on posting this yesterday but something came up that required my attention. With that said please do not think that Trading Cards is not a priority. It is. I hoped that I would be able to post every week but it seems with my schedule, **every other week.** I'm sorry for any inconvenience.

3\. And finally, due to my research of the Marvel Comics world I made a slight change. Originally I stated that Pippa is in New York City, but instead this is taking place in Mojave Desert at the Joint Dark Energy Mission Facility for now.

**Review? (Goal Til Next Update: Total of 15+ Reviews)**

Much love,

_The Painted Green Door_


	3. Trading Apprehension

**Author's Note:** I have a few things to address:

1\. Thank you all for continuing to support _Trading Cards _and **putting up with my small OCD when it comes to increments of five**. I wish I could hug you all. Thank you. **You guys continue to amaze me and always make my day.** With that said, **can I ask for a small kudos from you guys?** I know I changed it to updating this story every other week but I found some time and managed to get this chapter done. **My burst of energy and determination to get this done was fueled by all the love you have shown this story. Thank you. **I literally cannot thank you enough. (I sound so redundant, don't I? I apologize if that bothers anyone)

2\. Also, I apologize for for not responding to reviews until now. I always like to take the time and send a thank you and I have been slacking on that. I will get in back into the swing of it. **Never doubt that I am not grateful for you taking the time to show support and leaving kind words.**

3\. I hope that my interpretation of Clint Barton's character seems realistic (it's a bit hard since he is a man of few words). **After much debating I decided to portray him this** way-and I hope my interpretation is suitable. **For those wondering when Captain America will appear, never fear.** He should hopefully be in the next chapter or two (more likely in the next, next chapter) but I cannot be entirely sure. But yes, how much would the quality of this story plummet if I didn't include Pippa swooning over Captain America?

**Answer: This story would literally fall into a depression and never have a recession. **

Much love,

_The Painted Green Door_

**Goal til next update: total of 20 Reviews.**

P.S. someone should write an article about how to get over one's obsession for increments of five.

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_If there, there are boundaries_

_I will try to knock them down_

\- _Latch by Kodaline_

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**Chapter Two:**

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Pippa Coulson wasn't particularly fond of being the so called designated coffee girl. In fact she rather detested the task of taking their orders before running off to return with piping hot drinks and several small burns on her hands due to her rushing from place to place.

However she had learned that having the positon of the coffee runner made her a favorite of her coworkers and even gained a certain amount of respect from them, which turned out to be a plus when she first arrived at S.H.I.E.L.D.. Due to her gaining a network of friends from several departments of the agency also made her quickly rise through the ranks, which she was grateful for. But the time had come where Pippa was tired of the title and was secretly hoping to place the burden on someone else.

But no one volunteered and it turned out that that the young agent was too soft hearted to target one of the newer agents or rare intern. She was never quite comfortable with using her seniority over another being, it somehow seemed wrong to her. Therefore Pippa was the permanent coffee girl much to her despair and the delight of the agency.

"Dr. Selvig." Pippa called out as she entered the room, feeling a small thrill run down her spine as she examined the room. She was proud that she had the privilege of being one of the few people who knew about the Potential Energy Group/Alternate Sources/United States, also known as Operation P.E.G.A.S.U.S.. Her regular work never called her to be in this part of the facility very often, so she found herself amazed whenever she entered the spacious laboratory.

The brunette agent spotted the doctor hunched over, examining one of the multiple screens. Walking as smoothly as she could, Pippa tried her best to balance the five remaining thin Styrofoam cups that each held steaming liquid. Dr. Selvig's laboratory was the second to last stop she had to make before she could finally end her coffee delivering service. She would never admit it out loud but the agent always made Dr. Selvig's laboratory one of her last stops on her route, secretly hoping she could stay a few more minutes than was needed to observe the experiments he was working on.

"Dr. Selvig." Pippa tried again, trying to gain his attention even though his eyes seemed to be glued to the screen in front of him. She huffed slightly as she managed to continue her act of balancing the coffee cups in her hands.

"Need some assistance?"

She nearly jumped at the sound, her neck prickling at the feeling of cool minty breath faintly hitting her skin. Her flinch luckily did not affect the careful tower of coffee cups that she had the honor of balancing. With a scowl placed on her lips she glanced behind her to see Barton standing there looking at her. If it wasn't for the small amusement in his eyes Pippa would have almost been convinced he seemed genuinely concerned for her well-being. But since Pippa found a small trace of laughter in his eyes she found herself overcome with a wave of irritation.

"Dammit Barton. Can you not sneak up on me on my coffee runs? I'd prefer to not get burned." The female agent managed to get out through clenched teeth. She didn't try to hide that fact that she was annoyed at his antics. Even though she acknowledged that he indeed was an agent and silently sneaking around was probably one of his strong suits, couldn't he at least save his sneak attacks for his missions only?

"Pippa." The archer returned simply as his greeting before grabbing the coffee cup that was marked with the letters _'CB'_ in Sharpie, making it easier to hold the remaining cups much to her relief. She watched unamused as he stood there before her, sipping on his coffee with a relaxed expression. Pippa frowned. Surely that coffee had to be boiling hot. She made a mental note to make sure the water was beyond boiling next time as payback for scaring her. With any luck he would end up with a burnt tongue.

Pippa forced her mind to return back to reality instead of dwelling in her scheming thoughts. Straightening a little in hopes to come off as intimidating she then frowned, "It's Agent Coulson to you. Or on days when you're not irritating me, Coulson." She replied trying not to give away the fact that she had been thinking only moments ago of how to get back at him.

She watched as Clint seemed to ignore her, sipping on his coffee and humming softly as he stared anywhere but towards her. This of course added to her annoyance but she shook it off with a small shake of her head, her ponytail swinging in response as she turned her attention back to Dr. Selvig who had finally noticed her presence.

"Ah, Coulson. You seem to be running quite late today. I was wondering if you were coming to deliver the coffee at all." The scientist said as he eagerly took the coffee cup which had his initials marked on it, before taking a long slurp and giving a satisfied sigh.

"Pippa was sleeping on the job. That's why she's running half an hour late." Barton offered. Pippa turned to glare at him, furious at him not only for using her first name (which was unprofessional) but also opening his mouth. She was certain that eventually word would spread that she had indeed been caught sleeping on the job. But she certainly wanted to keep it quiet for as long as she could, and she certainly wanted to keep it classified from people like him. But alas, she had been tattled on and pride was one of her infamous traits that would probably get her into trouble someday. But Pippa refused to go down miserably.

"Thank you for your input Agent Barton." She managed to say rather sweetly, "But I do believe your source may be incorrect. I was not sleeping on the job. I actually slept in my chair with my head on the desk."

Dr. Selvig chortled and Pippa gave a tense smile to the expert bowman whose corner of his mouth tugged slightly upward, forming what one would call a smile, or perhaps a smirk. Either way it was not the fazed expression Pippa expected him to have, she was secretly hoping it would unsettle his usual calm composure but instead the result disappointed her to by some degree. Pippa angled her gaze towards Dr. Selvig who was turning back to one of the screens before him before speaking.

"Director Fury also sent me to remind you that you haven't submitted a weekly report in quite some time." She stated, slightly pursing her lips as she set the remaining coffee cups on a nearby table which had various papers strewn along its surface. Although she rather liked the man, she refused to go easy on him when it came to the weekly reports that remained to be unwritten. It was expected that every employee hired by S.H.I.E.L.D. handed in a weekly report, especially if the employee's work was important, which in this case was very important.

Dr. Selvig gave a small dismissing wave of his hand, "I'll hand one in eventually. Tell the man he'll get one next Wednesday or so."

"Sir, the energy levels are rising again." A female voice chirped up. Pippa recognized the concerned tone belonging to Harley, a no nonsense scientist-the kind of person that S.H.I.E.L.D. loved to employ. Pippa wouldn't be surprised if Harley rose through the ranks-she was hard working and passionate about learning new things that concerned her field of work.

"Blast it all." The gray haired man muttered as he looked over her shoulder, "Do your best to stabilize-"

"Is something wrong?" Pippa asked, trying to make sense of the various diagrams on the screens. Unfortunately Pippa didn't major as a science major or even a math major, so she only managed to understand a small portion of it all.

"Nothing too harmful. The Tesseract is acting up again. She's throwing off low levels of ionizing radiation. Low levels of gamma rays." Dr. Selvig reported with a small sigh as he ran a hand through his thinning hairline, "Nothing unusual. This happens from time to time."

Pippa frowned. Chewing slightly on the inside of her of her cheek she debated whether she should contact Fury but he left for S.H.I.E.L.D.'s headquarters in New York City only a couple of hours ago to meet with the council. She knew that if Fury was indeed meeting with the council, he would hardly be thrilled to be contacted from personnel here at the Joint Dark Energy Mission Facility. But gamma radiation wasn't anything to laugh at and dismiss…if the levels of radiation continued…

"I'll have to contact Fury about this." She decided watching as horror and panic set in on the doctor's face. He shook his head frantically, "It's nothing unusual. The Tesseract acts up once in a while." He squeaked out, "Please don't tell him. He'd return and cut his trip to the headquarters short. And we all know he would be in a rotten mood."

Pippa hesitated in responding. Selvig did have a point: he would be return to the Mojave Desert in a sour mood, especially if he was supposed to meet with the council. And if what the doctor said was true, then the Tesseract acting up was somewhat of a normal occurrence. She could see Erik looking rather worried and she finally gave in.

"If you have a report no less than eight pages on my desk this Thursday, I won't tell him." Pippa told him as she tugged slightly on the hem of her blouse, trying to smooth out any wrinkles.

Erik grunted, "Why do I have to write the reports anyway? The Hawk does nothing but stay in his nest and watch me as I work." His look of slight disgust went noticed by Pippa but she decided not to comment. She refused to bark up that tree, she was never one for interfering between coworkers' drama episodes.

"Each person affiliated with S.H.I.E.L.D. has the obligation to write weekly reports. You haven't written a single one in sixteen days doctor, meaning that you are currently breaking several regulations if you didn't already realize." She paused to get a deep breath before continuing, "Besides Agent Barton hands his reports in on time although they are lacking in detail from time to time." She said as she shot a look at the latter person, finding him sipping his coffee.

Erik seemed to be at a loss for words for a few moments before he finally relented, "Fine. Six pages. And due Friday." He bargained.

Pippa nodded, finding his offer suitable, "Agreed. I expect it on my desk eight o' clock ante meridiem." She said flashing a serious look at him before picking up the three coffee cups on the table near her that had yet been delivered.

"Here, let me help you." Clint offered as he took two of the three cups from her grasp ignoring her sounds of protest.

"I can manage fine on my own." She argued as she shot him a frown in his direction. He only shrugged before walking towards the exit of the laboratory. She had no choice but to follow him much to her displeasure.

It wasn't that she hated him. In fact how could she when he was a man of few words? But his strange quiet ways struck Pippa as odd and made her rather uncomfortable. To Pippa, Clint seemed the kind of person who found peace in thinking-in secrecy. She was convinced the man always had a secret agenda, knew things not even Pippa, who was considered only second in to Nick Fury at S.H.I.E.L.D., (this of course could be debated) knew. And since he preferred silence she knew that he was clearly thinking about something, which was why Pippa found herself awkwardly walking alongside the archer prodigy as they headed to the medical department. It occurred to her that Barton seemed intent in aiding her and she would be foolish to refuse since it was by no means a short walk. And she rather enjoyed carrying only one coffee cup instead of having the challenge of three.

Nevertheless although Barton seemed content with the silence, it made Pippa a bit awkward. Pippa racked her brain, trying to find a topic she could talk about but came up with none except for the weather. And she certainly wasn't desperate enough to resort to that over used and dry topic.

"I wonder if there's going to be any rain soon." She found herself blurting out. She almost stopped in her tracks, flabbergasted that those words even came out of her mouth. Instead she mentally hit herself, screaming inwardly.

Stupid, stupid, stupid. They were located in the Mojave Desert for Pete's sake! Rain certainly was not going to appear anytime soon, especially in early summer. In fact the Mojave Desert never received more than thirteen inches of rain a year. She never felt more mortified in her life.

She kept her eyes towards the ground refusing to even spare a glance in his direction. He certainly was laughing at her thinking she was rather foolish. Her cheeks burned, staining her lightly tanned skin with a dusting of pink. At least the hot sunny weather provided a tan which disguised her blush rather well. If she had been in New York she would have been less fortunate. For once she silently thanked the heavens for being placed in the middle of nowhere even though the heat was truly unbearable.

"It would be nice."

Pippa looked at him. her eyes widening. Was he being serious? Surely he had to be mocking her. But she could find only sincerity in his eyes. He carried on, "Although I would be open to snow or hail. Anything to make this climate more manageable." He paused as if hesitating and stopped walking. Pippa stopped, confused at his behavior. He always managed to puzzle her.

"When I wrote in my report that he was acting strange…I meant what I said. He hasn't been acting like himself." He said. Pippa scanned his face hoping he would clarify. He delayed his words as if searching for the right ones. As if having trouble to form them. "He says his strange behavior is because he can't sleep well due to the Tesseract's random energy fluxes. But this whole thing seems fabricated." He murmured.

"Are you saying that the random energy fluxes might not be so random after all? That they're artificial?" Pippa questioned him, worry seeping into her voice. She mentally scowled at herself. She knew better than allowing emotion in her voice. Taking a small moment to collect herself and conceal her emotions she glanced at him.

Clint shrugged, "I don't know. All I know is that he seems rather jumpy lately and insists on dealing with the Tesseract by his lonesome." He glanced towards her, meeting her eyes, "I think he's planning something."

The whole thing didn't sit right with her. Once again she was quite tempted to contact Fury. She would hate it if something went wrong under her temporary command of S.H.I.E.L.D.. But once again she dismissed the possibility of contacting him. She was eager to prove not only to him but to her coworkers and herself that she could bear the responsibility and the burden of being entrusted to make sure everything was running smoothly.

Instead she then directed her thoughts towards the agent who stood in front of her, "Then you should be doing your given assignment: guarding the Tesseract and keeping an eye on Selvig." She told him as she managed to take the coffee cups from his grasp and hurry to the medical department, not bothering to look back at the figure she just abandoned.

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**Note:**

**Goal until next update: 20+ Reviews **

If you enjoyed this story (or even if you didn't) I would **appreciate it immensely i**f you could take a moment to review: **jot down your thoughts, ask me a question, tell me a joke.**

Much love,

_The Painted Green Door_

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**AN EXCERPT OF THE NEXT CHAPTER OF _TRADING CARDS_:**

Pippa instinctively grasped the nearest stable thing beside her which turned out to be the railing on the stairs she was currently on, the tremor shaking the whole building slightly. They were getting worse and more frequent. Fear encased her body but she ignored it, focusing on the issue that they were currently experiencing.

What a fool she was.

She should have called him sooner.


	4. Trading Glances

**Author's Note:** I worked on all of yesterday and partially today, so I hope you enjoy it. As always I don't want this to be a lengthy author's note so **I'll save my speech at the end of the chapter,** except for the part where** I thank you all for the support you have not only shown Trading Cards but towards me as well.**

I feel as if I should also add as a small** warning that there will be some changes to the story plot-line of _The Avengers. _**My intention is not to destroy the already fantastic plot-line but to create a successful story (after all, romance has to be in there somewhere). If this bothers you, please leave this Bertie Bott's Bean Flavour unharmed so some other lad or lass can enjoy it. **Thank you.**

Also, a huge thank you for tolerating me and my** increments of five.** I love you all.

**Goal til Next Update: Total of 30+ Reviews **(I hate that I love increments of five, but at the same time I love that I love increments of five.)

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_And you're trying to figure out your fate tonight_

_And you hear a sound coming out from the car radio_

\- _What It Is by Kodaline_

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**Chapter Three:**

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Pippa instinctively grasped the nearest stable thing beside her which turned out to be the railing on the stairs she was currently on, the tremor shaking the whole building slightly. They were getting worse and more frequent. Fear encased her body but she ignored it, focusing on the issue that they were currently experiencing. What a fool she was.

She should have called him sooner.

As soon as the thunderous vibrations stopped she continued her way towards her destination, running down the stairs. The flashing red lights were finally turned on as well as the flat piercing alarm system which alerted anyone who was not aware of the current circumstances.

_"__All personnel, the evacuation order has been confirmed. Proceed to your designated vehicles for off campus evacuation. This is not a drill."_

Pippa gritted her teeth as she tried to go against the current of the large body of employees who were currently like sheep heading towards the exit, all of them carrying black boxes from the archives-documents that were vital and had to be saved. She quickly hurried as best as she could to the laboratory, anxiety running through her veins. Finally turning down the rather abandoned hallway, only a few guards standing uncertain here and there, she scanned herself into the dome shaped spacious laboratory.

"Dr. Selvig you assured me everything would go back to normal and you would have the Tesseract under control four hours ago. Yet the building shaking isn't what I would call exactly _back to normal_. What the hell is going on?" Pippa demanded as she stepped into the room. She spotted several assistants running around frantically, shouting orders at each other while Dr. Selvig, himself, looked like the definition of a mess. His eyes were wide like a deer's in the headlights, his hair was mussed probably due to him running his hand through it numerous times because of his nerves and he was frantically searching through papers, crumpling some as he went.

"I thought I would have it under control but she keeps spitting out energy surges. I suppose it's good thing you ordered the evacuation as a precautionary." He responded, as he drew a hand across his forehead. Pippa could see he was breaking out in a cold sweat before he turned his back towards her in pursuit of finding certain papers. He carried on, "She's acting terribly funny. The energy levels seem to be climbing at a dramatic rate."

"Can't you shut it completely down somehow?" Pippa asked as she glanced at the glowing azure cube that was currently sparking.

"Agent, if it was that simple I would have already done that." Erik grumbled clearly frustrated, "The Tesseract is an energy source. If we turn everything off she turns it back on with ease." He paused licking his chapped lips, "She's brilliant. Absolutely brilliant." He said with pure admiration as if he was a proud parent and the bright blue object was his child.

_"__Coulson, Director Fury is going to be arriving any moment."_ A static voice spoke. Pippa glanced at her walkie-talkie that was currently clipped to her waist. She sighed glancing at the doctor. "Thank you Atticus. I'll be up in a minute," she spoke into the black battered device, "How is the evacuation going?"

_"__It's going to take at least another thirty to forty five minutes in order to conduct a safe and successful evacuation. Although I am glad to report that all necessary files on Level One have been collected and placed on trucks for the most part."_

Damn.

"Atticus, I signaled the off campus evacuation four hours ago. What are you guys doing up there?" Pippa hissed, annoyed that nothing was getting accomplished. She couldn't be down with the Tesseract _and_ supervising the evacuation at the same time.

"_We weren't exactly prepared for this ma'am."_

"Then get prepared. Check the upper levels. Make sure there aren't any stragglers left behind. I will not have any lost lives." She stated to Atticus, mustering the best authoritative voice she could at this moment.

_"__Roger that."_

Pippa did her best to compose herself even though in all honesty she was ready to have a break down. Of all the days that it could have happened. Forcing the lump in her throat to go away she shot the doctor a look, "Buy us all the time that's available." Not waiting for his response Pippa turned on her heel, glancing up at the ceiling in mid thought. Instead of focusing on the agenda that had to be executed, she saw two stormy grey eyes with hints and traces of green threaded through staring at her. Pippa straightened up and stopped in her tracks not sure how to react. She decided to give him a curt nod, one which he did not return. Instead as if suddenly disinterested he turned away.

Pippa huffed to herself.

She didn't have time to play along with his foolish childlike behavior.

And with that thought she briskly made her way towards the facility's entrance, believing the sooner Fury and Hill arrived the better. _"Fury will know what to do." _Pippa mused as she climbed the numerous flights of stairs, her legs taking on two at a time. As soon as she reached the outdoors she sucked in a breath of the dry summer air, glancing towards the sky just in time to see a sleek black helicopter slowly landing on the designated pad only a few yards from where she was standing.

"How bad is it?" Fury asked as he got out, wasting no time in greetings. Pippa exchanged a look with Maria before quickly following Fury who was clearly on a mission. Fury easily weaved in and out of the stream of agents who were all frantically hurrying while Pippa and Maria constantly bumped shoulders and muttered halfhearted excuses.

"That's the problem, sir. We don't know." She managed to say as she tried her best to keep up with the director. Unfortunately he took longer strides that resulted in her adopting a gait between a walk and a jog. "Dr. Selvig read an energy surge from the Tesseract four hours ago." She added hastily.

She watched as Fury glanced at her only for a second before looking ahead, a frown slightly sewn upon his face. Pippa cringed at the sight but reminded herself that at least it wasn't exactly directed to her, "NASA didn't authorize Selvig to test phase."

Pippa cleared her dry throat before she managed to squeak out, "He wasn't testing it. He wasn't even in the room. Spontaneous advancement." The young agent glanced at Maria who seemed confused but clearly concentrating on something in her thoughts.

"It just turned itself on?" Maria asked finally, puzzlement clearly residing in her eyes. Pippa couldn't tell if Maria was either skeptical or confused. Pippa gave a silent nod in return before running her right hand down the cool cream colored railing as she smoothly ran down the stairs, this time taking one at a time.

"What are the energy levels now?"

"Climbing. When Selvig couldn't shut it down we ordered the evacuation." Pippa she told Fury as he suddenly slowed down his pace, something unusual when he was in dire situations. Fury held up a hand as if to signal to her to stop in her tracks, an action she already did when he slowed to a stop in the middle of the narrow stairs.

"How long to get everyone out?" He asked, turning to look at her. Maybe it was the lighting. Or maybe it was just her imagination. Or perhaps, it really was real and there in his eyes. Regardless if it was real or just a concoction of her imagination, Pippa saw concern flashing in his eyes only for a brief moment. Concern not for himself. But for the staff that were still here. Lives that could be lost at any given moment. A rush of respect surged through her bones.

"Campus should be clear in the next half hour." Pippa said as she cleared her thoughts with a small shake of her head, an action that went unnoticed not only by the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. but also by Maria.

"Do better."

Two words were all he said before he continued his way towards the laboratory with Maria in tow. Pippa knew better than to follow. With a renewed burst of energy she pivoted on her heel and ran quickly up the stairs, ignoring her aching muscles that begged her to relax and take a break.

As she hurried to reach Level Two of the facility she caught the eye of Atticus, one of the few NASA scientists that were recruited and assigned to overlook Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S.. She was amazed how calm and collected he seemed unlike her frazzled state. And to think that he was the same age as her! He flashed a halfhearted smile showing off his perfect white teeth (no braces needed) while he quickly ran a hand through his russet colored hair.

"Level Two is almost complete." He offered as he stood next to her, crossing his arms which once again confirmed how collected he seemed to be. She glanced at him trying to calculate how long it would take to clear Level Three.

"Level Three is halfway done." He told her as if he was reading her mind. Pippa gave a silent nod, not trusting herself to speak. She was afraid she would let her emotions get the best of her and she refused to show even a millisecond of weakness. Not in front of him. Not in front of anyone.

She heard him suck in a deep breath of air before speaking, "So say theoretically we survive this and we're still in one piece before all of this is over…does that mean I could ask you out for a cup a coffee?" he asked before quickly asking, "Theoretically speaking of course."

She glanced at him, trying to fight off the blush that threatened to stain her cheeks. She was surprised at the very least by his words. At S.H.I.E.L.D. she liked to consider herself the one that was the wing woman, _never _the woman that guys asked out. She felt her eyelashes flutter as she glanced towards the ground. It wasn't that he was unattractive. In fact a few female agents found him very good looking. Plus he was a good guy: he had a great work ethic, was passionate about what he did, was trustworthy, responsible, honest and obviously smart if he was a NASA scientist…all in all he was a great guy. Pippa could see why he had quite a few fans.

Pippa silently cringed as another wave of rumbles sounded throughout the building, thick dust falling down from the ceiling. Shouts echoed dimly throughout the building and she gave a glance at Atticus who was clearly still awaiting her answer.

"Good work clearing out Level Two." She said as she began to move on to Level three. It seemed to her as she quickly surveyed the room that he had this all under control which was deemed most excellent. She made a mental note to go out with him to get that cup of coffee once this whole chaos was over, that is if she managed to live through it and prevent her heart from bursting.

"But you-"

"Theoretically speaking that coffee is going to have to wait _but_ I'm not opposed to it." She called out behind her, not glancing to look at him. Reaching Level Three she found out that Atticus was true to his word, half of the necessary files were already placed in cases and being carried down to the facility's parking lot where trucks would be waiting. Urging for them to quickly finish she quickly loaded cases on various carts and checked the area to make sure no one was being left behind. With a satisfied look on her face, she signaled that they were clear and ready to go. As she ushered out the remaining agents from the floor, making sure she was the last one, she drew a sigh of relief as they made their way to outside in the parking lot. Soon they would be able to load the cases in the trucks and leave. As if she jinxed the situation vibrations ran through the building and the ground-this time at a greater force.

They were in a full-fledged earthquake.

Panic rose in her throat as she gasped slightly as the cases and carts tumbled down the few steps, that they had yet to go down. Pippa stumbled trying to clutch anything stable while she tried to reassure the other agents who were yelping, trying to leap out of the way of the carts and black cases that were bouncing and flying in various directions.

"No, leave it! Leave it! Go!" she managed to shout at her coworkers as they tried to pick up the cases which were strewn all over the ground and place them on the carts. Although she acknowledged that the cases held important information-necessary information, she knew they had to get out of here as soon as they could. Finding her feet, she nudged them towards the direction of the vehicles that had yet to leave the campus.

An earth shattering rumble hit the ground Pippa could hear glass shattering and shouts. Stumbling and ultimately on the ground, her knees stinging, she tried to make her way to one of the vans. A strong hand grabbed her arm, instantly placing her back on her feet. She peeked behind her to see Atticus who had a grim look on his face. Somehow Atticus, who had previously been calm and collected, having a look of quiet horror, frightened her.

"Come on, Coulson." He muttered as he guided her to a black indistinguishable van. Relief filled her as she quickly climbed in. Atticus followed swiftly before slamming the door shut. The vehicle screeched to life as the driver floored it leaving Pippa only a second to look behind at the cases that were left lying on the concrete ground. Fumbling with her walkie-talkie she pressed the side button, "We're clear, sir. You need to go." She urged as a wave of drowsiness hit her suddenly. All the adrenaline that had been previously pumping through her bloodstream now left her in a tired state. She ignored the sickening feeling that filled her stomach when no response came from Fury. Instead of having the urge to vomit, she turned her attention to her surroundings, staring outside. She stifled a gasp of dread as she watched the ground crumble and gave in, as if the ground suddenly became too heavy and the core of the Earth couldn't support it anymore.

For a mere second she feared of being swallowed up by the core of the Earth. The ground caving in seemed to be catching up to their vehicle, which was the last one much to Pippa's relief. Her nails dug into the flesh of her own skin as she clenched her teeth in anticipation. She could barely feel Atticus' arm wrap around her shoulders but shot him an appreciative look anyway. A jolt hit the van suddenly and everyone winced. Pippa turned to see a bright blue wave escape the building which was currently tumbling in itself and run through the sky.

Suppressing a shudder she could finally feel the tension ease from the enclosed space as the van flew across the barren desert, several miles from the destroyed facility. The ground became stable and Pippa signaled for the van to halt. Drawing to a halt Pippa tried one more time, "Director? Director Fury do you copy?" she breathed.

"Coulson."

Pippa breathed a sigh of relief, not caring who heard her.

"The Tesseract is with a hostile force. I have men down. Hill?" Fury carried on without a pause on his end. Pippa gripped her device, eager to hear any report she could get her hands on.

"A lot of men still under, don't know how many survivors." Maria rasped, coughing some. Dread filled Pippa as she closed her eyes. She tried so hard not to have any lost lives. Losing lives was the last thing she wanted. Yet it turned out that despite her efforts, funerals would be hastily arranged. She chewed on the inside of her cheek as Fury's voice broke through her thoughts.

"Coulson, get back to base. This is a Level Seven. As of right now we are at war." Fury directed through the walkie-talkie. Pippa straightened her spine as she tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear. She glanced at her walkie-talkie before speaking, "What do we do?"

"Activate the Avengers Initiative, Coulson."

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**NOTE: **Cue the dramatic music. I know there wasn't too much interaction between Pippa and Clint s**o I'm sorry if this chapter didn't fulfill your expectations and your Pippa and Clint craving.** But I did add a character, Atticus.** Did you guys like Atticus or did he seem a bit stereotypical? Do you want to see more of him? I'd like to know what you think. Be sure to leave your opinion in your review!** I try not to write stereotypical characters but I'm always afraid that I do anyway. And now I'm ranting. Sorry for that.

**I'm also sorry for not responding to your reviews.** Believe me when I say that I will be doing that as soon as this chapter is posted. **Never think for a moment that I am not grateful for those who take the time to favorite, follow, add this story to their alerts, and take the time to review. You guys inspire me, this story and also make my day. You guys literally make me smile. Thank you.**

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you did, if you could be so kind as to take the time to review I would be very grateful.

**Goal: Total of 30+ Reviews**

Much love,

_The Painted Green Door_


	5. Trading Goodbyes

**IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Yes. I am alive. Many of you are probably wondering why has there been such a delay. But the first thing I have to say is: **I'm sorry.** I know many of you were eager for the next addition to this story, and we're probably counting the days until I posted this chapter, and in the end I let you down. And for that, I apologize over and over again. Know that you guys mean so much to me and that will never change.

_So what happened?_ Many things happened during my unexpected absence. I'm never one of those people who can handle stress well and my original plan was to take a few days off from here and relax. This was also due to the fact that my original inspiration for this story had died down drastically. I hoped that a small break would energize me and motivate me to keep writing. But my plans got hindered due to how I am very accident prone human being. **The main thing is, is that I'm back and refreshed and ready to type frantically to write this story.**

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**Goal til Next Update: 35+ Reviews**

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**Chapter Four:**

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_I don't want to go_

_But it's time to leave_

_You'll be on my mind_

_My destiny_

\- _Gale Song by The Lumineers_

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"I guess that cup of coffee is out of the question."

Pippa glanced up to see Atticus standing there with a small but strained smile on his face. She straightened up, stretching her arms as she gave a smile through a yawn. She then straightened up some papers on her desk before flashing him a true smile this time.

"I heard you were being reassigned to the NASA headquarters in Washington D.C. but I didn't think it was true." She told him as she crossed her arms in front of her as she leaned back in her chair, swiveling it some-a bad habit she acquired but a relaxing one nevertheless.

Atticus shifted his weight from foot to foot, digging his hands in his pants pockets before offering a response, "With Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S. currently on a hiatus they can't find me a reason to stay."

"Nevermind that. I heard you were being promoted when you get back. A shiny new office and everything. Congratulations." Pippa offered as she glanced at the stack of papers on her desk that awaited her. She was tempted to rub her eyes; she had barely been getting an hour's sleep at the most ever since she flew in to New York. Work had to be done and Pippa felt that the Tesseract's malfunction and the destruction of the Joint Dark Energy Mission Facility was her responsibility, and now she had to bear the responsibility of fixing this. Fury never spoke to her about exactly what happened while she was left in charge. He never pressed for details. Never blamed her. But it only made her guilt worse. She had to fix this. She had to redeem herself.

Pippa noted as Atticus' left corner of his lip was tugged upwards as if he was trying to find a reason to smile but found no real reason to. He then leaned against the corner of her desk, following her pose and crossing his arms over his chest, "I asked to stay."

Pippa gave a small, soft smile as she stood. Atticus edged closer to her as she spoke slowly, "Atticus, I-"

"We found her, ma'am. She's at 114 Solenski Plaza, third floor."

Atticus laughed wryly as he glanced down towards the floor, "Always a busy bee, aren't you?" He then straightened up, tugging on the hem of his neatly starched dress shirt, smoothing nonexistent wrinkles. Pippa managed to give a tiny trace of a smile, studying his face momentarily before speaking, turning to figure who stood there unashamed, "Thank you, Bridget. Stabilize connections and connect me in five minutes."

A quick nod was sent in Pippa's direction before the strawberry blonde hurried away.

Pippa glanced at the man in front of her who stood there uncertain. Musing over her choice of words she finally settled on the ones that seemed the most comfortable and native to her tongue, "I wish you all the luck in the world Atticus. I really do."

The young NASA scientist smiled in response though it came across as a bit too forced, "Maybe if work ever calls you down to Washington D.C. I could treat you to that cup of coffee." He said after a few moments of silence.

"Goodbye Atticus." Pippa said as she stepped back, escaping any possibility of contact. No last handshake. No final hug. Nothing. Because she knew. She knew that their paths went in separate directions from here on out. A simple goodbye was all she said before she turned and focused her mind on other things-the task at hand. But she couldn't ignore the slightest twinge that tugged on her heartstrings.

"Bridget, have you stabilized the connection yet?" Pippa asked, clearing her throat, as she tucked a stray hair behind her ear as she glanced over at the strawberry blonde who had clearly been witnessing the scene that was just displayed between Atticus and herself. Bridget blinked frantically before nodding, handing her superior a small card which held a phone number.

"Whenever you're ready."

Pippa hastily dialed the foreign numbers in her slim cellular device, waiting for it to connect. She tried not glance at her desk, but did anyways only to find that Atticus was gone. A fuzzy single ring was all it took for her to gain her professionalism back. Straightening her spine she silently planned her words carefully.

_"__Ya?"_

Pippa closed her eyes briefly before opening them and speaking, "Put Luchkov on the phone. Now." She then added as an afterthought, "Please and thank you." Silence filled her ears for a brief moment and she feared that perhaps the man had hung up on her, that she addressed this situation at the wrong angle and had messed up the whole objective of her calling. But relief filled her body as there were sounds of muffled words being spoken. Crackling filled the previous silence as Pippa assumed someone was fumbling with the phone.

_"__Who the hell is-"_

"You're at 114 Solenski Plaza, third floor. We have an F22 exactly eight miles out. Put the woman on the phone or I will blow up the whole block before you can make the lobby." Pippa spoke effortlessly. Being employed at S.H.I.E.L.D. had taught her many skills including how to bluff-she did this moderately well.

A small grunt indicated the transition had been made and Pippa focused on the objective of her call, "We need you to come in."

_"__Are you kidding me? I'm working."_ was the only reply Natasha made. It was clear to Pippa that she was clearly irritated by the interrupting call, but the young brunette made a quick response, fearing the phone would be taken away from the Russian spy.

"This takes precedence." was her simple response. The only response Pippa could manage to say without sounding somewhat annoyed herself. Herself and Natasha never hit it off exactly. They were cordial to each other, and they shared a dry joke or two in the past, but girl time? Coffee runs together? Sharing gossip? Pippa couldn't even begin ever doing that with _her_.

_"__I'm in a middle of an interrogation and this moron is giving me everything…"_ the voice trailed off momentarily with a hint of disgust (Pippa assumed it wasn't because of her phone call, but perhaps because of Luchkov) before picking up where she left off, _"Look you can't pull me out of this right now."_

Pippa acknowledged that Natasha was known for her stubbornness. But she also admitted freely that she was just as stubborn. Nibbling on the bottom of her lip she assessed her options. She could of course, tell her that her orders over ruled the spy's own but she doubted that would gain her any brownie points from the cold faced secret agent She could of course plead. Beg her to drop her mission and take a jet back to New York. But that was the last thing Pippa wanted to do. With a small sigh to herself she was at a loss of what to do.

A hint of a spark. A small idea playing through her head. A small smile gracing her lips.

She could of course play _that_ card.

"Natasha, Barton's been compromised." Pippa said with a purposeful crack in her voice to add to the moment. Sure, it was artificial. But if she had to be completely honest she wasn't the most _horrible_ actor on the planet.

A small hitch in her breath. A small pause. Then her voice rang clear, _"Let me put you on hold."_

Relief filled her as Natasha spoke those six words. She was glad that she played that card even though she knew it was wrong of her to manipulate another's emotions. Emotions were a messy business. As she heard yelps and grunts ring through her cell phone she allowed her mind to continue to wander. She mentally excused herself from using Natasha's own emotions against her. It wasn't her fault that the red-auburn haired agent had let her emotions entangle itself in missions.

A clinking sound of something metal and a groan. Then, _"Where is Barton now?"_ the voice that belonged to the phenomenal spy demanded which dispersed Pippa's thoughts

Clearing her throat Pippa replied dryly, "We don't know." She was tempted to add, _"If we did know we wouldn't have called you. I wouldn't want to interrupt your work even if someone triple dog dared me, thank you very much."_ But she knew better and therefore kept her mouth shut.

_"__But he's alive?" _

If Pippa had the time to analyze the voice through the phone she would have found a hint of desperation. Or perhaps a drop of distress. But Pippa didn't have the luxury of taking the time to examine the voice through the phone, instead she focused on the subject, "We think so. I'll brief you on everything when you get back." Pippa then turned to focus on the numerous papers spread out on her desk, "But first we need you to talk to the big guy."

A small dry laugh, then, _"Coulson, you know Stark trusts me about as far as he can throw me."_

Pippa winced at the spy's comment but it went unnoticed by both parties. While she did admit Natasha could probably convince Mr. Tony Stark in a millisecond, the brunette refused to talk to Dr. Banner. She didn't want to risk the chance of his refusal thanks to her saying something wrong…or worse, "Like my funeral." Pippa thought unamused as a small chill ran down her spine.

Of course she would never admit that she might _possibly_ be scared of Dr. Banner and what he was capable of. Her excuse was simply location. While she was in New York, Natasha was closer to Dr. Banner's whereabouts. It only made logical sense that Natasha was assigned with recruiting Banner.

"No, I've got Stark. You get the big guy." Pippa spoke simply before smoothly hanging up. She tossed her phone on her desk as she chewed on the bottom of her lip. Her mind was incomplete thoughts and fragments, in short, a complete mess.

"Agent Coulson, I'm leaving as we speak."

Pippa hastily snapped out of her thoughts to see Director Fury walk out of his office, snapping his coat together with the help of the brass buttons. A simple black leather briefcase was entrapped in his left hand, an item that he had faithfully used for over eight years.

"Are you sure you don't want me to visit him, sir? I'm sure I could find some room in my schedule." She said quickly as she rose from her chair to scamper after him as he walked briskly down the hall.

"Aren't you merging the line between work and feelings of admiration agent?" The Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. bluntly spoke as he turned towards her to give her a disapproving look. Pippa fought with all her willpower to stay composed and to fight off the heat that threatened to stain her cheeks. Luckily, she had the inner strength to manage such a task.

"Sir?" she asked, trying her best to muster a believable confused look. The hairs on the back of her neck prickled as he kept shooting her a look, and she prayed that he would drop such a look. It always made her outer appearance crack.

"Never mind." Fury muttered before speaking with perfect clarity, "I expect you to contact me when you have reached good news Coulson."

With a sweep of his coat he left Pippa still continued to fight the blush that wanted to conquer her cheekbones. "Dammit." She whispered to herself. She was so close to finally officially meeting him. A part of her was disappointed. Disappointed that she even voiced her suggestion to Fury. And that her idea was shot down. Another part of her understood where Fury was coming from. Fury knew how much she admired the man, and chances were slim to none of her conducting herself normally around the blue eyed hero. In a way, Fury was doing her a favor by preventing her from acting as a silly school girl with a crush.

"Not a crush." The brunette agent mentally corrected as she turned on her heel to go back to her desk, "I simply admire him. Besides I never met him. For all I know he could be a real jerk-"

"Coulson, we have been trying to reach Mr. Stark for several minutes now but he seems to be blocking all means of communication with us." Bridget said with a frown on her lips, dispersing any thoughts Pippa had of the blue eyed hero she had been thinking about only moments ago.

"Is that so?" She murmured to herself, her gray eyes fluttering towards the ground. With a small pause she then straightened her spine and let out a small sigh. Or perhaps it was a dry chuckle. Regardless, she let her gaze be directed towards Bridget who was still standing there, looking rather uncertain.

"I suppose I'll just have to pop in for surprise visit."

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**NOTE: Thoughts? Comments? Review?**

Much Thanks,

_The Painted Green Door_


	6. Trading Introductions

**Author's Note:** Thank you for your continued support all of you! I sat down and wrote this all day so **I hope you enjoy it.** Leave some love too! Would it be too much if I asked for **ten reviews** for this chapter?

This chapter is dedicated to:** Nikki-Chaos** and her amazing support for not only this story but for me as a writer as well!

* * *

_And oh my my, oh hey hey_

_Here he comes, the candidate_

_Blue eyed boy, United States_

_Vote for him, the candidate_

\- _Big Parade by The Lumineers_

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**Chapter Five:**

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"To be fair Mr. Stark I did apologize to JARVIS multiple times." Pippa declared as she stepped out of the elevator, silently marveling (yet again) at the luxurious but simply furnished penthouse that was presented before her very eyes. She glanced briefly at the man himself who looked like he was trying to stay composed although she noticed he held a rather firm grasp around his champagne glass resulting in his knuckles turning slightly white.

"Pippa! Come in!" Pepper greeted warmly, and for that Pippa was thankful. With a small smile gracing her lips she further entered the space without any hesitation. To her secret amusement Tony Stark seemed rather bewildered as he glanced between the two women, "_Pippa?_ Uh, her first name is Agent."

Refusing the urge to roll her eyes (which was quite a difficult task to do) she then smiled as sweetly as she could given the current circumstances, "Do thank your mother for the cookies she sent, Virginia. I'll have to steal that recipe from your mother some time."

_"__Mother?"_ Tony choked out, clearly confused. He looked frantically between the two trying to figure out who to send his glare to. With a silent laugh Pippa turned her thoughts to more serious matters as Pepper ran off to fetch another glass, "Her mother and my mom are in a book club together." Pepper said innocently with a dismissive wave of her hand while Tony looked purely flabbergasted. "We're celebrating." She informed Pippa happily as she offered her champagne.

"Which is why she can't stay." Tony mumbled, recovering yet again from his shock. He clearly had gotten over his confusion and recovered back to his usual self.

Pippa declined the freshly poured glass of champagne, "I don't like to drink on the job Virginia, but thank you." With a quick inhale of air she then glanced at Tony, "We need you to look over this as soon as possible." She said smoothly as she extracted a thick file from under her arm and held it out towards the billionaire.

She watched as his spine stiffened and a scowl took over his features, "I don't like being handed things." He said simply. Pippa was tempted to return the scowl but Pepper intervened with a small laugh, intercepting the two with her presence, "That's alright because I love being handed things, so let's trade."

Tony grumbled to himself as the red headed woman managed to stuff the file folder in the grasp of his hand that was previously occupied by a champagne glass (which was wrenched by Pepper as well, much to his unhappiness).

"Official consulting hours are between eight and five every other Thursday." Tony said dryly as he glanced lazily at the file. Although he tried his best to look uninterested, Pippa could see the curious gleam in his eyes. She almost had him. He only needed perhaps another push and then she would be successful.

"This isn't a consultation." The brunette managed to reply smoothly as she watched his eyes gain more curiosity. Pepper, who had been glancing nervously between to two decided it would be an opportune time to voice her thoughts, "Is this about the Avengers?" she asked eagerly before her face quickly changed into one of guilt, "Which I-I know nothing about." She said this hastily as an afterthought and Pippa decided to remain silent, wondering how Stark would handle Pepper's actions.

"The Avenger's Initiative was scraped I thought. And I didn't even quality." Tony said bitterly as he walked away from the two women. Pippa glanced at Pepper decided to add in quickly with an uncomfortable smile, "I didn't know that either."

"Yeah, apparently I'm volatile, self-obsessed, don't play well with others, the usual." He spit out as he paused and turned towards them, the file still in hand. If Pippa was being perfectly honest, he was volatile, self-obsessed, and he certainly did not play well with others. But she pushed his poor personality away from her thoughts, "This isn't about personality profiles anymore. Just take a look at the file Stark." Pippa managed to say through clenched teeth. She found him to be rather aggravating and was losing her normal composure.

Tony grunted as Pepper shot her a smile before hurrying towards him. She prayed that Pepper was offering words of encouragement to him, convincing reasons of why he should join because when it all came down to it, they did need the self-obsessed billionaire. Glancing briefly at the two of them who seemed to be quietly arguing she then looked at her watch. With a small sigh she then glanced at Tony who had the multiple profiles of the mission and the people that he would soon be working with in holographic form. Her breath hitched as she caught sight of a holographic Captain America in action as he fought bravely.

"Do you drive by the airport by any chance?"

Pippa snapped out of her thoughts to look at Pepper who had a small suitcase in tow. Quickly collecting her thoughts she gave her a small nod, "I can drop you off." Pepper beamed as she then wiggled her eyebrows in a matter that made Pippa tempted to laugh, "Bridget told me you looked awfully friendly with Atticus today."

Now it was her turn to be shocked but she masked her surprise quickly as they both stepped in an elevator, "He relocated and is back at NASA." She rather numbly as she made a mental note to send a death glare to Bridget when she saw the strawberry blonde again. Pepper hummed as she pressed the one of the many buttons before the doors closed with a crisp shut.

"Don't be mad at Bridget, I asked her to keep me updated." Pepper stated as Pippa felt the elevator descend. She shifted her weight uncomfortably. She never had an exact love for elevators. "He's been wanting to ask you out for ages." Pepper added as if she could read Pippa's mind. The agent shrugged off her words, still not entirely convinced she should forgive Bridget, not that it made a difference now. Her heart tugged briefly and for a moment Pippa felt sick to her stomach but she decided to ignore the sickening feeling that seemed to be eating at her stomach.

"Well no matter. He's gone. Left this morning actually." Pippa muttered mostly for her own ears, although Pepper heard her anyways.

"Oh boo." The young CEO said rather sulkily, her shoulders slumping a bit. As a small jolt announced they had finally reached the floor, Pepper recovered when they reached the car and slipped inside. She happily chatted about the completion of the building, the expected response from the press and the damage control she would have to do if the response of the press turned out to be negative.

"But I do hope everything works out." Pepper said as she sent a nervous glance towards Pippa as she pulled up the curb of the JFK airport expertly. The brunette agent gave Pepper an encouraging smile, assuring her, "Virginia, I have no doubt the opening of Stark Tower will have raving reviews, especially if you're overseeing the whole production."

Beaming with confidence, Pepper hurried with her luggage into the building, leaving Pippa alone in silence. For a moment she leaned back in the driver's seat, wanting to relax-even if it was just for a mere moment. It hadn't occurred to her until now how much her muscles ached and how much her eyes beckoned her to close them.

_"__Currently receiving a call from Director Fury."_ a computerized voice spoke, breaking the silence that Pippa had enjoyed for only a moment.

"Answer." Pippa directed to the car as she suppressed a sigh and pulled away from the curb, making her way towards the main road. Night had fallen only a couple of hours ago, but it felt to Pippa as though it had been night for hours on end. She sorely missed her bed and all the other comforts of her small apartment.

_"__Pippa, I take it you finished talking to Stark?"_

Pippa confirmed with a small nod although she knew it was pointless as he couldn't see her, "Stark is on board, sir." She was very much tempted to ask him of how his meeting with _him_ went, but thought better of it. She didn't want to make Fury suspicious that she had romantic feelings for the man. It was a ridiculous notion altogether. Her feelings only ran as deep to the level of admiration. That was all.

_"__I'm sure you'd like to know Steve Rogers has accepted." _

Was it just her or did she hear a tint of amusement in his voice. She shook her head, knowing that she must have been imagining it due to her lack of sleep. Nick Fury never thought something was amusing. That man would make a world class comedian sweat and worry, for she never saw him laugh. Not that she could blame him. She supposed the job was the definition of stressful.

A small clearing of the throat by Fury drew her back to the present, _"I'd like to apologize for accusing you of…affectionate feelings towards him this morning, Agent. I'm sure you could have conducted yourself in a professional matter; you don't strike me as the type to lose their brains. Which is why I decided you should pick him up tomorrow and bring him to the Helicarrier. Maria will be tied up I'm sure-the security hasn't been the best and we really should get that sorted out."_ A pause, then: _"I instructed him that somebody will pick him up at 6:00." _

"Yes, sir." Pippa managed to get out. A small click told her he had hung up but she remained quiet until she pulled up to the curb in front of her small apartment (luck would have it that not too much traffic was found along her route towards home). Still deathly silent, as if she was in a dream, she floated towards the steps of her apartment and opened the door (although she had dropped it several times due to her fumbling).

It wasn't until she had closed the door and locked it securely that let her brain process Fury's conversation with her. And suddenly her legs became unstable and she clutched the wall for support. No. She wouldn't think about it. Pushing the conservation away and locking it away, she managed to make her way towards the kitchen, her legs slowly returning to supporting her.

Absentmindedly eating some leftovers (which she forgot to reheat) she trained her brain to try and store all the information it could possibly hold about the Avengers Initiative. For the most part, she knew the basics: what happened, the Tesseract's dangerous qualities, the mysterious (and what seemed unlimited) abilities the cube could do. She also knew the profiles of the people involved, yet she decided to read them again just so she could soak up any small minuscule details she might have missed. And she realized that this perhaps was a mistake if she wanted to forget the conversation she had with Fury. Or perhaps it wasn't a mistake. Perhaps she wanted to bring up Fury's conversation with her. Regardless, when she reached Steve Rogers profile she eagerly read his profile, sometimes even re-reading certain parts as if she read it again, it would give her more information. But the information was simple and in the end, her knowledge of him stayed the same. With no new information gained except some of Dr. Banner's history before his involvement of gamma radiation, she decided to call it a night. She ignored the black case that laid in one of the corners of her kitchen. She knew what was in there and usually she would be in the mood to flick through the glossy pages and feel satisfaction. But it involved _him_ and she decided she wouldn't think about him any more than she had to.

Treading to her bedroom she changed in her pajamas which were matching a matching top and bottom of teddy bears sleeping along with the slogan 'I'm Bear-y Tired' much to her humiliation and her mom's delight (her mom decided to give the pajama set as a Christmas present). Climbing under the covers she glanced at the clock which now read 1:49. Had she really stayed up to read the file for that long?

With a small sigh she waited for sleep to come to her.

But it became apparent around 2:17 that the Sandman did not have an appearance scheduled for her apartment. Instead she lay awake in bed, staring at her cream colored ceiling thinking: Atticus. Bridget. Nick Fury. Tesseract. Natasha. Clint. Steve Rogers.

When her thoughts finally reached the topic of Steve Rogers, it lead her to thinking of her Trading Cards of him which were in the black case in the corner of her kitchen. Oh how she was dearly tempted to sneak downstairs (although she had no reason to sneak, for this was her own apartment), turn on the light switch, dig the binder out of the black case, and study the cards.

But she thought better of it.

And didn't sneak downstairs, turn on the light switch, dig the binder out of the black case and study the cards.

Instead she continued to stare at the ceiling and continued to let her thoughts drift: Tony Stark. Bruce Banner. Loki. Thor. Steve Rogers. Trading Cards. Her father.

It was a mistake. Her mouth filled with a bitter taste as she pushed the thought out of her brain and tried to swallow although her mouth seemed rather dry at the particular moment. She steeled herself to stay calm, her hands clenched, digging into her skin as she closed her eyes trying to think of something else. Anything else. But nothing could come to her and so she was stuck remembering.

* * *

She hadn't slept.

And that was partially her fault. She had every opportunity to do so. But when she really thought about it, it was also Nick Fury and his stupid decision's fault to let Pippa pick _him_ up. Not that she really despised the Director. In fact she was rather excited in finally being able to meet _him_. But all of her excitement was overridden by the feeling that she felt like she was going to throw up at any given moment. It also didn't help that she had reached Steve Roger's residence. Parking the car she glanced up at the building that loomed over her and her vehicle.

With a shaky breath she got out, finding some comfort since her legs were functioning and bounded gracefully up the few steps that led to the door. Glancing at the apartment's intercom she reached over, her hand grazing the device-

"Excuse me ma'am."

Startled Pippa jumped slightly but she prayed it wasn't noticeable to anyone. She glanced at the door that was now ajar (she was sure it was closed only moments ago), revealing _him_. She blinked. Once. Twice. Her eyes tried to focus but her mind was still trying to wrap itself around the fact that she was finally meeting him.

"Are you-"

"Pippa Coulson. I was sent to pick you up." She told him, mentally kicking herself at her lame introduction. And to make matters worse she cut him off which she acknowledged was quite rude of her. She was tempted to apologize but decided it would only make it worse.

"Steve Rogers." He said with a small smile, grasping her hand in a firm, but somehow gentle, handshake. She noticed his hands were warm and she relished in the heat, especially since it was a bit chilly since the sun was just peaking over the buildings. _"Ah, the Super Soldier Serum makes his metabolism burn four times faster than the average person."_ She realized, reciting the fact that was found in his profile. A small burst of pride ran through her veins as she mentally skimmed through his profile and correcting any hasty mistakes she made as she went along. She always found it useful having a nearly photographic memory. It came in handy for cases like these.

It then occurred to her that during all of this, she hadn't let go of his hand. With her lips slightly forming in to the shape of an 'O' she quickly took her hand back, as if his contact burnt her. She could feel the heat rise on her cheeks as she realized she must have been holding his hand for a good ten seconds or so. Fearing to see his reaction, she did so anyway and found him adjusting his duffel bag. If he found the whole situation odd, he didn't show it, and for that she was immensely grateful.

"Shall we get going?" she asked, her voice wavering a bit due to her suddenly dry throat. He glanced at her with an affirmative nod, his blue eyes twinkling with an emotion she couldn't exactly place. It wasn't until she had shut her car door and inserted the key into the ignition that she realized it was amusement.

_"__So he did notice the awkward period of hand shaking."_ She thought rather dejectedly as she made a left turn at the end of the street, _"Well, I won't make a fool of myself any longer-I'll just remain quiet so I won't say anything foolish."_ The thought both comforted her and depressed her. She would hate telling her children the story of how the first time she met Steve Rogers, they said nothing to each other.

"What musical is about a train conductor?" she found herself asking. A joke couldn't hurt lighten the mood. In fact she was very proud of herself that she was being brave and actually talking to him.

He glanced over at her, realizing after a moment that Pippa was telling a joke. He was of course the played the part of a perfect participant, "What?"

Pippa smiled brightly even though it was rather early in the morning and she hadn't gotten a wink of sleep at all last night, "My Fare, Lady." She glanced over eager to see his expression (although she would never admit that to herself) only to see him look utterly confused. Her heart sank. Was the joke really not that funny? Well, she supposed it wasn't exactly the best-in fact it was a bit cheesy, but-

And then it hit her: My Fair Lady debuted in 1956. World War II ended in 1945. He woke up nearly 70 years later, waking up in the 21st century. And while she was sure he understood some modern concepts she knew he didn't understand all of them. Wanting to disappear, she glanced at him and quietly said, "It's a musical."

Steve nodded and threw out a small laugh in the space between them but she cringed at the falseness of it. He was simply being polite and trying to save her from embarrassment. With stained red cheeks she tried to sink lower in the car as she drove.

From then on she decided to be an avid participant in the silent game for the rest of the car ride.

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**NOTE: **So she finally met Steve! **Leave some love? Thoughts? Review?**

Would it be too much if I asked for **10 Reviews for this chapter? Yes? No? Probably, so I'll ask for 5.**

Much love,

_The Painted Green Door_


	7. Trading Silence

**Author's Note:** I don't want this to be a lengthy author's note because I know that can be annoying but can I just say **three things?**

First of all, wow **you guys continue to amaze me.** I was so surprised of the positive reception you guys had of not only the story but the last chapter as well! **I'm blown away at how many of you took the time to review and leave such kind and supporting words, as well as suggestions and critiques. Thank you!** I also cannot forget to **thank all of those who Favorited and Followed** not only me but this story. _Trading Cards_ holds a very special place in my heart as cliche as that sounds and I** can't thank you enough. Thank you also to the Guest Reviews, that's so kind of you! **

Secondly, **never doubt for a moment that I don't care about the readers of this story (and my other stories as well).** **I love you all for supporting not only _Trading Cards_, but also me.** I do **apologize** that my timing when it comes to updates and responding to reviews (because I always want to write back to my reviewers if I can). I admit it isn't always the best and I seem to have long gigantic pauses in between chapters. Things have been a bit stressful but p**lease bear with me!** Can I also get a small **'Hooray'** for updating this story so quickly? **That's probably never going to happen again (Sorry!) so enjoy it while it lasts!**

Thirdly, I'd also like to say that **it is never my intention to be annoying when I encourage you to leave a review.** I hope I don't come off that way. They honestly motivate me and encourage me (why do you think I updated this story so quick), brighten my day and let me get to know what you guys think. Can I also take a moment to **thank you guys for respecting my slight OCD when it comes to fives?** Thank you!

**This chapter is dedicated to all the readers who were dying for a bit of Pippa and Steve interaction. (Is anyone out there for Pippa and Clint?)**

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**EXTRA NOTE:** While I'm at it, I'd also like to ask for** a lot of feedback on this chapter because I'm very, very nervous when it comes to this chapter. I'm very worried I didn't adopt the correct characterization of Steve, Pippa, Fury, etc. **When I finished writing this chapter** I was tempted to scrap it because I thought it wasn't right. I'm very worried so please leave me a review and tell me what you think. Thank you! **

So then the** review goal for this chapter is: ? **(Although my dream would be to receive at least 10)

* * *

_I start to play the silent card_

_You make this easy _

_Or you play me like a shark_

\- _Finally Begin by Cold War Kids_

* * *

**Chapter Six:**

* * *

"We're about forty minutes out from base, ma'am."

"Thank you Haiden." Pippa said as she checked the Quinjet's system vitals briefly and snuck a glance at Steve Rogers who was currently transfixed with the scene that was playing in front of him. As if he knew she was gazing at him he looked up from the screen of the slim tablet she had lent him, "So, this Doctor Banner was trying to replicate the serum that was used on me?"

The question was innocent enough, so the young agent didn't understand while her cheeks threatened to explode with a red tint. She swallowed, finding her mouth was slightly dry. Doing her best to compose herself in front of him she nodded, "A lot of people were. You were the world's first superhero. Banner thought gamma radiation might hold the key to unlocking Erskine's original formula."

Explaining this somehow made her feel more relaxed much to her relief. For the past half hour the atmosphere had been tense and quiet. Pippa made sure not to utter any words more than necessary during the time of their flight, though keeping her eyes from glancing at him multiple times was a different story…

"Didn't really go his way, did it?" Steve asked slightly absentmindedly as he glanced back down to watch the massive green form tear apart a Jeep easily. The roars of the Hulk filled the area between them as she dared to take a step closer to him, "Not so much." She agreed before she quickly added, "But when he's not that thing though guy's like a Stephen Hawking."

She watched as confusion quickly took over his face and for the hundredth time that day she mentally slapped herself, wanting to dig a hole in the ground and bury herself, "He's like a smart person." She muttered under her breath, feeling the heat creep up her neck. She then cleared her throat awkwardly, wanting to quick deviate from the subject. Her mind reeled with what she could talk about and before she knew it, words came out of her mouth, "I have to say, it's an honor to meet you officially." Steve sent her a simple smile and for some reason that made her gain more confidence, "I sort of met you, I mean, I watched you while you were sleeping."

As soon as the words flew out of her mouth her eyes widened slightly as she realized how that sounded. Trying to redeem herself (and ignoring how the slight look of uncomfortableness that Steve's eyes displayed), she quickly said, "I mean…I was….I was present while you were unconscious from the ice."

_"Not that that sounds any better."_ She thought with a slight wince as her eyes flickered towards the floor, not really wanting to look at him. After a moment she swallowed some courage and managed to look at him, slightly jumping as she realized how close he had moved, "_Stealthy, silent, a true soldier."_ She managed to think silently as she offered a weak smile that probably looked painful to him, "You know, it's really just a…just a huge honor to have you on board."

Her comment was met with silence as he stared at her. His piercing blue eyes seemed to be concentrating on her face resulting in her breath slightly hitching, her eyes slightly widening, and her cheeks slightly flaming.

"Well I hope I'm the man for the job." He said finally, his eyes still focused on her. She nodded a bit lazily, her head slightly spinning from their closeness, from his cologne. Was it cologne? If it was she couldn't place what kind. The smell was somewhat musty but clean (as contradictive as that might sound) and Pippa found it to be quite refreshing. She decided that the scent wouldn't have been suitable on anyone else, but somehow he pulled it off effortlessly.

"Oh you are. Absolutely." Pippa said earnestly. How could he not think so? A feeling of shock overtook her. Did he really doubt himself and his abilities? He was Captain America for Pete's sake! Admiration swelled up in her and she was tempted to offer him encouraging words, but she disposed of it quickly. She didn't want to seem overbearing and embarrass herself more-she already wanted to go disappear and live her days out on a remote island where no one could find her.

"Excuse me." He stated as his right shoulder brushed against her own gently as he went behind her. She froze as she heard the crackling of plastic. Realization dawned on her. How foolish could she have been? He hadn't been staring at her at all. Feeling foolish she hurriedly moved away from him and small refrigerator that was kept in the corner near where she was standing. Pretending to check the vitals of the Quinjet (yet again) she did her best to battle of the heat that was currently conquering her cheeks.

"Here."

A plastic bottle of water crowded her sight of vision. Taking it somewhat cautiously she let her thumb and forefinger wipe away the condensation that was around the bottle. She glanced at blonde man who looked relaxed (for the most part) and at ease. His startling blue eyes flickered towards her face, and his lips curved upwards slightly on one side, "Staying hydrated is always important." He said this as he edged a bit closer to her, standing in front of her view of the Quinjet's engine statistics as well as her view of the ocean.

Taking a timid sip she mumbled her thanks before directing her gaze to an empty wall painted in a dull black. A slight pause. Then, "Uh we've made some modifications to the uniform. I had a little design input." She told him nervously, meeting his eyes.

It was true. As soon as Fury directed her to activate the Avengers Initiative preparations quickly filled her time, including (to her delight) even overseeing the reconstruction of Captain America's uniform. With a small sigh that went unnoticed by him, she felt a small drop of sadness rise up in her. Overseeing the reconstruction felt like a lifetime ago.

"The uniform?" Steve asked, arching an eyebrow perfectly in surprise. Pippa managed to nod a bit stiffly (which may have seemed a bit cold, but at least she could manage that simple body function without it resulting in something embarrassing) before he continued looking a bit skeptical, "Aren't the Stars and Stripes a…" he hesitated as if he was struggling to find the correct word, "little old fashioned?"

Pippa glanced at him through her eyelashes, "Captain," she swallowed a bit thickly as she then tilted her head to look at him directly, "with everything that's happening, the things that are about to come to light, people might just need a little old fashioned."

He stared at her as if he was taking everything she had said in and was trying to figure out a complex math problem. The hairs of her neck prickled as she avoided his gaze. And with that she managed to slip past him towards the pilot, "Haiden, I can take over from here."

Haiden, welcoming a break, happily let her be pilot from the remainder of the trip. Sinking in the pilot's chair she quickly donned on the headpiece and concentrated on reaching their destination. But just because she was in the pilot's chair didn't mean that stopped the hairs of her neck from standing up.

It also didn't mean a pair of blue eyes was deterred from glancing at her every so often.

* * *

Pippa who usually prided herself in being calm, efficient and professional couldn't wait to scramble off of the Quinjet. As she unbuckled her seatbelt she mentally scolded herself. She never acted so ridiculous in her life, she was acting like some nervous girl who was about to swoon over the Captain, _"I'm acting utterly silly."_ She thought to herself bitterly as she stepped off the jet with a Steve Rogers in tow.

The sun's rays beat down on them as she spotted Natasha. With a halfhearted attempt of a smile she introduced the two Avengers as a form of a greeting, "Agent Romanoff. Captain Rogers." Pippa watched carefully as the two interacted. Steve gave a simple small nod, "Ma'am."

And for some reason, this made her a bit pleased. He shook her hand while he only acknowledged Natasha, the gorgeous graceful spy who could make any man melt with sweet words, with a simple word. And then guilt set in and she shook her head, she was being completely foolish ever since she picked Steve up. Chewing on the inside of her cheek, resulting in a dull pain to distract her from useless day dreams she watched as Natasha (who looked a bit distracted) returned the sentiment, "Hi." She did this while showing off her fairly perfect white teeth before shooting Pippa a look, "They need you on the bridge. Face time."

Pippa heard the somewhat friendly but very cool tone Natasha used but ignored it, storing it away for dissection at a later time, "Right. See you there." With a pivot on heel she made her way inside the Helicarrier with her mind turning to thoughts that were acceptable: the importance of the Avengers Initiative. Pippa strode down the hallway, the doors automatically opening to reveal…

"Coulson, there you are."

The owner of the name spotted Director Fury positioning himself at the Science Console adjusting diagrams, statistics, levels and skimming information that seemed to continuously appearing around him. He then dared to glance at her, pausing momentarily from adjusting what looked like to be engine levels, "Hill already got them started sweeping the satellites. I assume picking up Rogers turned out to be satisfactory. No issues?"

_"I guess you could say that."_ Pippa mused silently as she nodded, "No problems, sir."

With a small grunt he turned his attention to Hill who was looking over an agent's shoulder at the viewscreen in front of them, "Hill, what's going on?" With a quick touch of the screen, one of the diagrams changed and she straightened, "We're at lock, sir."

"Good. Let's vanish." Fury directed. A wave of voices overtook the area as numerous agents adjusted their headsets and directed their attentions to their viewscreens. With a small wave of tiredness hitting her (which she fought off) she turned to glance at the viewscreens towards her left, "Make sure you leave nothing out. I want every device scanned: cellphones, laptops, cameras. Everything." Pippa directed to the row of S.H.I.E.L.D. technicians who seemed engrossed in their view screens.

Catching a glance of one of the viewscreens she then whacked one of the technicians in the head, "Gerrit, stop playing _Galaga_."

"Yes, ma'am." He muttered as he minimized the screen and returned back to scanning various cameras throughout the world. With a warning look she glanced up to see Dr. Banner and _him_ walking through the open doors. Quickly turning away, half of her wising to disappear and the other wishing she could actually have a perfectly normal conversation with the Captain she concentrated in observing the work of the row of technicians.

But that didn't mean she had to ignore what they were saying…

"Dr. Banner I assure you, once we get our hands on the Tesseract, you're in the clear." Nick Fury told the scientist sounding completely honest and genuine. She couldn't help but look at the clearly over stressed doctor who looked a bit uptight.

"Where are you with that?" Dr. Banner asked sounding a bit skeptical with Fury's statement.

Pippa quickly spoke, gaining attention from the group, "We're sweeping every wirelessly accessible camera on the planet. Cellphones, laptops. If it's connected to a satellite, it's eyes and ears for us." She told them this with a small dash of pride in her voice. She was glad that for once she could normally function with _him_ there, as well as be one step ahead of the doctor himself.

"That's still not going to find them in time." Natasha pointed out deflating Pippa's mood. She glanced over to see her staring at a viewscreen that had Clint Barton's face on it. Pippa recognized that she had pulled up his profile_. "Probably searching for any information that might help us…or maybe not."_ Pippa thought as she remembered the panic that could be detected in her voice when Pippa called her.

Dr. Banner decided to jump onto the bandwagon when it came to destroying Pippa's good mood, "You have to narrow the field. How many spectrometers do you have access to?" he asked, looking uncertainly between Fury and herself.

Fury glanced at Pippa and Hill looking a bit unsure, "How many are there?"

"Call every lab you know and tell them to put spectrometers on the roof and calibrate them for gamma rays. I'll rough out a tracking algorithm based on cluster recognition. At least we could rule out a few places." Dr. Banner said looking a bit grim. He said this all very fast in a matter of factly tone. The rest of them barely caught what he said. (Understanding was an entirely different story.) He then took a much needed breath, "Do you have somewhere for me to work?"

"Agent Romanoff." Fury stated, directing his attention to the owner's name who straightened up, looking a bit pleased at having a task to do, "Would you show Dr. Banner to his laboratory, please?"

With a quick nod she then escorted the Doctor out (who still looked a bit skeptical) "You're gonna love it Doc." She told him rather happily as they exited the Bridge, her voice fading as she said, "We got all the toys."

Pippa reined in the urge to roll her eyes at the spy's comments and instead directed her attention back to the viewscreens, ultimately whacking Gerrit in the head again, "What's with you and _Galaga_?"

"You're going to give me a concussion." The disgruntled technician complained as he reluctantly went back to scanning numerous satellites for the slightest sign of Loki's face. Ignoring Gerrit's dramatic action of sulking she then turned to see Steve Rogers still standing on the Bridge looking slightly amused. With a small twinkle in his eyes he then turned on his heel and left.

Pippa managed to keep her blush under wraps while he was in the room but as soon as he exited, pink exploded on her cheeks. Had she been imagining him looking? Had she imagined the small look of amusement in his eye for the second time that day? Pippa chewed on the bottom of her lip finally deciding after a good moment that it had only been an imagination. The Captain was on a mission, and it was clear that he took it seriously. There was no room for amusement or for her. Her lack of sleep was really getting to her.

_"How selfish I am to think he was thinking about me." _Pippa thought as she gave a small soft laugh.

"_Oh Captain_! Would you _please_ sign my trading cards? I worked so hard of _years_ you know. And while you're at it could you possibly kiss me?" Gerrit said in an overly high pitched voice throwing in a fake giggle. Fuming, Pippa glared at Gerrit.

_Whack!_

"Ow! Come on Coulson! You're gonna give me brain damage!"

_"I don't have romantic feelings for him."_ Pippa told herself as she climbed the steps and walked out of the room. Walking into the hallway, the doors crisply shut behind her. Enjoying the quiet atmosphere and the newly dimmed voices that came from what the agents jokingly dubbed 'The Cockpit Room' she continued down the hall.

_"I only admire him. That's all."_

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**Note: Alright I'm really nervous. Tell me what you think? Send some love, reassurance, and I guess if you really want, hate?**

Also, it was brought to my attention by** Lizzybug2000 that Steve and Pippa don't have a ship name yet (Not that I'm saying they're actually a true ship...I know I'm a horrible human being for keeping you guys in suspense and being all mysterious). **

But** if you have any thoughts of what their ship name should be leave it in your review!**

Much love,

_The Nervous Painted Green Door_


	8. Trading Confusion

**Author's Note**: Sorry for the long delay everybody! Thank you for the huge amount of support have shown, I"m absolutely stunned at the amount of reviews you left. I still have the hugest grin when I look back and read them again. I don't want to talk too much so here it is:

* * *

_And they call me underneath  
_

_To this storm__  
_

_\- I of the Storm by Of Monsters and Men_

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**Chapter Seven:**

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Her feet led her to her temporary quarters which were furnished with only the necessities: a thin mattress supported by a steel frame was pushed up against a wall with her small suitcase lying on top, a chair and small desk was tucked into one of the corners and in the opposite one there was a small dresser. The walls which were painted in a sickening shade of white made the room depressing, but to Pippa it was her temporary home sweet home. She had no reason to complain of her quarters, she had seen (and lived in) worse.

Taking a seat on the mattress, the metal frame groaning since it was unaccustomed to being used, she fumbled briefly with the suitcase's zipper. Dragging it along its designated path she lifted the top to find the binder staring back at her as if it had been waiting for her all this time. The pads of her fingertips danced on the cover as she stared at it for a moment as if she was silently debating whether or not she should look at its contents. Giving in she flipped the binder's cover open and drank in the sight of her carefully preserved vintage collection of the man himself: Captain America.

She studiously studied them as if the cards were the key to this whole mess she and S.H.I.E.L.D. found themselves in but found no answers whatsoever. A short brisk knock distracted her from her prized possessions that were protected under the protective plastic covering and she quickly slid of the mattress scampering to hide the binder in her dresser. She realized it wasn't the best hiding place and made a mental note to move it to somewhere more private.

"_Perhaps my locker."_ She thought as she tucked a stray piece of hair (which seemed insistent on being rebellious) behind her right ear before she cautiously opened the door, peering shyly. She was greeted with the sight of a one Mr. Steve Rogers staring back politely at her and she quietly thanked the heavens she had hid the cards from out of eye range.

"Fury requested for you to come down to the Bridge." He stated seeming quite apologetic. He stood there, in all his glory, shifting his weight from foot to foot looking as if he seemed a bit diffident which made no sense to Pippa. Captain America held a self-confidence, a quality she so longed to possess.

"_I always second guess myself."_ She thought with a slightly bitter tone before she shifted her gaze towards her feet, "Of course. Thank you for notifying me Captain." She gazed up to see him retaining an unreadable expression on his face, his eyes flickering towards the ground. Had she said something wrong? Or perhaps this was the real him.

"I'm actually heading down there myself. I wanted to check if there had been any leads." He told her, still looking a bit sheepish as, this time he was the one who looked down at his shoes. A sheer amount of force hit her as she realized: Did he want to walk with her?

Opening the door a bit wider so she could slip through it she then watched as his eyes drifted to stare at something behind her, "Is that a trading card?"

Fear flushed through her as she gave a small squeak, wishing that he was wrong-that what he was staring at was a dust bunny or maybe even a bug. Peaking behind her she became mortified.

One of the cards had must have slipped out of its protective covering because one was lying right in the middle of her room. The first thing she felt coarse through her was relief. Relief that she hadn't stepped on it and ripped it. She admitted that although there were some edges fraying on some of the cards, they were practically in mint condition, and even considering the thought that she could have stepped on one of them sent her in mental heart attack.

The second emotion she felt was embarrassment as she realized who was standing at her door. She quickly hurried over, scooping the card up carefully in the palm of her hand. Looking at the sketched figure that was on the card she realized that such an image didn't do justice to the real Captain America. Shooting a glance she smiled weakly although she felt like she was about to throw up , "It's nothing."

"Could I see?" he asked his face still unreadable. She wondered if his face was just naturally unreadable or if it was just because of her and her antics. Swallowing thickly she nodded watching as he stepped into her quarters, a look of uncertainty developing on his face as if at any given moment he would step on a land mine. It occurred to Pippa that perhaps he was a bit shy due to the fact that it was a female's living space. Supplying another weak smile towards him she watched as his shoulders seemed to relax. Walking a bit more comfortably towards her, he glanced curiously at her piece of treasure in the palm of her hand.

Taking the card gently (much to Pippa's relief, although she realized that if anyone handling her trading cards made her comfortable it would be Captain America himself) between his thumb and forefinger he looked at it. His eyes held such a pure emotion she had never seen before in him. Curiosity. It was apparent in his eyes, though she had a theory that blue eyes couldn't hide emotion as well as brown or even gray eyes.

"_I hide emotion rather well when I want to." _She thought as she watched him study the card just like she had done only moments ago. Chewing nervously on the inside of her cheek she watched as he turned the card over. Reading the brief message on the back of the card he then looked up to meet her eyes smiling as if he was the one embarrassed, "I look rather ridiculous, don't I?"

Ridiculous? Steve clearly caught her puzzled expression because he laughed somewhat dryly, "They try to make me out as a hero: fancy getup, film me fighting a couple of bad guys, kiss some babies-and then somehow I'm a hero." His eyes flickered between her and the trading card, "I'm not." He swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly as he met her gaze, "I'm not a superhero. I'm just…"

As if he suddenly remembered where he was he then looked away for a brief moment as if he was collecting his thoughts. Pippa herself needed to take a moment. She found herself startled at the raw emotion she could hear in his voice, and for some reason that scared her. She had always pictured Captain America as confident and sure. Steady and reliable just like how the sun always rose in the morning and the stars always shone at night. And yet it seemed as if she was completely wrong.

"It's in good condition. Almost mint I'd say." Steve said lightly after he cleared his throat. Pippa nodded silently, taking in all he had said only mere seconds ago. He then carried on, "I'm surprised that you could even find these around anymore."

"I like to collect things." Pippa said somewhat absentmindedly as her mind reeled with thoughts. It was true. Captain America trading cards weren't the only thing that she preserved. Small collectible cars were another passion of hers, so much so that her car collection covered up a rather large portion on the bookshelf in her apartment's living room. She then met his eyes feeling rather bold, "I like to preserve history."

He was studying her now. Pippa shifted her gaze towards the door, "We should get going. I'd rather not witness an angry Director Fury." He nodded, not pressing her to talk. With that she delicately took the card from his grasp and placed it on top of the dresser. She hesitated. She was sure that the card would be safe and secure but still…

But at the same time she preferred the Captain not seeing her whole collection. She wasn't ready for that humiliation just yet. Praying silently that the card would be just the way she had left it when she returned they embarked on their small journey towards the Bridge. As they walked in a thick silence he snuck a glance towards her, "Have you collected all of the cards yet?"

A bit startled she looked at him, her eyes widening slightly, "Er-yes. I finally found the last one a couple of weeks ago. Some are a bit tattered along the edges, and in some spots the colors are a bit faded. But I'd like to think that they're all in rather good condition."

Would now be the time to ask?

She supposed it would be a rather opportune time but her voice had decided to leave her throat and she struggled to find it. Urging herself to collect herself she then managed to roughly clear her throat. With a small sharp intake of air she then-her heart sank. They had practically already reached the Bridge all due to the quick pace they had been applying on their journey. Only a few more yards and they would be there. The door was in sight and Pippa gave a small silent sigh that went unnoticed as she mentally scolded herself. She didn't know when there would be another time to ask him.

As the doors slid open Pippa cleared her mind as best as she could and hurried towards the row of agents (Gerrit was not playing _Galaga_ this time surprisingly-perhaps he had grown weary of having potential brain damage). She tried to ignore the presence that had joined her (they were now standing side by side) and pretended to study the screens before her.

"Coulson, I apologize. There was a false alarm-thought we found a match." Fury stated as he edged towards them, glancing between the two figures for only a moment before focusing solely on the young agent. With a brief understanding nod that Pippa gave him, Fury glided away (but not before looking at the two figures once again) towards Maria Hill who entered the room looking rather frazzled.

She gave a sideways glance to the figure that was standing next to her. She briefly studied his face and how his blue eyes were concentrating on one of the screens before him. He looked rather determined and this made Pippa not want to interrupt him even though she was highly tempted. Training her eyes away from staring at him she then looked towards the ground, chewing on the inside of her cheek ever so slightly.

She supposed she could ask him after all of this was over. Yes, that seemed like the most appropriate time.

"Could you possibly sign them?" she blurted these words out into the air. Her eyes bulged out her sockets slightly as she realized she did exactly what she didn't want to do. Pippa was mortified. Clamping her mouth shut she prayed that he had been concentrating so hard that he didn't hear her. Or maybe that he was day dreaming and didn't listen to her request.

Instead the figure that the question was directed to turned ever so slightly so he could look at her without craning his neck to see her. Pippa tried her best to fight off the stain of red that tried to conquer her cheeks. Unfortunately it was an impossible task although she tried nevertheless.

"The cards?" he questioned, his blue eyes looking rather calm. He almost seemed…curious? Pippa was surprised, though relieved, that he didn't seem offended or irritated by her sudden question. Surely back in the old days he must have been annoyed by all of the attention? Pippa then reminded herself that this was the Captain she was talking about: he was goodhearted. Pippa couldn't imagine him denying anyone autograph. It just wasn't in his nature.

But then she remembered with an uncomfortable feeling that she didn't know him personally. He could certainly be annoyed. He struck her as a reserved person-someone who wouldn't want to burden anyone with his feelings. However, as she searched his face for any hints of irritation or reluctance she could not detect any.

Realizing he was still awaiting a confirmation from her she then cleared her throat awkwardly (her cheeks fully stained with blush at this point), "Er-yes. I mean-if it's not too much trouble."

She was terribly ashamed of herself for many reasons: one of them being that she had opened her mouth and asked him while the world was currently in a chaotic state. Another reason being that she lacked her usual character. Where was her confidence? Her certainty?

"No, no. It's fine." He said with a small shake of his head to signal that he accepted her request. Pippa did her best to ignore the feeling of elation that filled her and fought off the grin that threatened to appear on her face. She tried to look cool and collected-as if it didn't mean a difference to her if he had said 'Yes' or 'No' (but of course in reality his response meant the upmost importance to her).

Her elation was swept away abruptly as an agent who Pippa identified as Jasper Sitwell gave a small shout. Pippa hurried over to him with a certain Captain following on her heels. Jasper gave a quick glance over his shoulder. "We got a hit. Sixty-seven percent match-wait…cross match…seventy-nine percent." Jasper reported excitedly.

Pippa peered over his shoulder making sure it seemed a legitimate match as she asked with no hesitation, "Location?" She examined the two pictures of Loki that appeared on Jasper's screen, ignoring the small chilly feeling she received as she took in the pale figure.

Jasper's eyes roamed the screen, "Stuttgart, Germany. 28 Konigstrasse. He's not exactly hiding, ma'am."

"Captain, you're up."

Pippa slightly jumped at the sound of Fury's voice. She had, in all honesty, forgotten that he was in the room. She turned on her heel to see Fury standing right behind them. How long had he been standing there? With flickering glances between the two men, she watched in silence as Captain America gave a short nod before hurrying out of the room-determination and professionalism oozing out of him as he went.

With a small clearing of the throat, Pippa then turned her attention to Fury who was still standing there, "Director should I go notif-"

"Hill will be taking care of all the transportation arrangements." He stated as he started towards his own little space, adjusting some diagrams with a calculated swipe of his finger. It was clear to Pippa that she probably shouldn't be interrupting him at this particular moment but she ignored the warning bells that went off in her head.

"T-Then should I suit up?" she asked tentatively, losing all confidence much to her despair. Fury froze making Pippa want to shrink back as he whipped his gaze towards her, looking rather irritated. Pippa stifled a squeak as she realized that she brought out the angry ogre side of him that she so feared.

"No. Absolutely not. _You _will be staying on this ship Coulson. Do I make myself clear?"

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**Note:** I leave the amount up to you, so **leave some love?**

Much love,

_The Pained Green Door_

**P.S. Anyone confused by Fury towards the end?**


	9. Trading Discoveries

Fact: **You guys are amazing. Thank you for being patient, putting up with my weird love for increments of five, and supporting not only this story but me as well. **

A special thanks to Lizzybug2000 and Nikki-Chaos for being kind and encouraging.

Another Fact: **This is the longest chapter so far. **

Does that mean I can ask for **15+ Reviews** for this chapter?

I will anyways and see what happens.

**GOAL: 15+ REVIEWS**

* * *

_And they tell you that you're lucky._

_But you're so confused,_

_Cause you don't feel pretty, you just feel used._

\- _The Lucky One by Taylor Swift_

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**Chapter Eight:**

* * *

When it came down to it, Pippa Coulson considered herself a rather fine agent. She prided herself in her enthusiasm and dedication towards her work and always enjoyed the indescribable feeling when witnessing a mission being accomplished or a case being finally closed. Of course, she could modestly admit that she was not the best agent in her field and still had a lot to learn, but she did keep in mind that at the same time she was considered a role model to some of the agents at S.H.I.E.L.D.

And under any normal circumstances she would have been delighted to be designated the head of a new project S.H.I.E.L.D. was currently working on. She would have welcomed the chance of such a position with open arms. She would have jumped at the chance. In fact, it always had been her secret goal ever since she arrived at S.H.I.E.L.D. to be appointed in charge of a project but after a couple of years it occurred to her that there was a slim to none chance. Fury had occupied her with other tasks: reading reports, recruiting, checking in on certain figures (for example: Tony Stark), overseeing operations, and occasionally being a part of a few. She had nothing to complain about, she was in a comfortable position on the agency's pyramid and considered Fury's right hand woman by many.

And yet here she was finally a head of one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s highly confidential projects.

She should have been ecstatic under normal circumstances.

But these were not normal circumstances.

With a sigh (which had been held inside for a long time) she gently rubbed her eyes. Exhaustion had finally hit her and she wanted nothing more than to sleep-even if it was only for a couple of hours. But work had to be done and the mountain of paperwork that was stacked on her desk wasn't going to disappear if she decided to rest her eyes.

Files were scattered all over desk and papers were strewn all over the place which was an unusual scene for Pippa. She was usually organized and focused, two traits that helped her rise through the ranks while she was at S.H.I.E.L.D. But her mind was focused on other things. It had only been a few hours (perhaps eight or so at the most) since the small group had embarked on their journey to Germany and returned with Loki (and an additional team member) in tow.

Or at least that's what she managed to hear through hushed fragments of conversation by other agents when she walked down the halls to refill her mug with coffee (which had been many times since she desperately wanted to hear any news that was available).

She had been tucked away in the quietest corner (not to mention the loneliest section) of the Helicarrier. People seldom came down which she would have normally welcomed such a quality in a workspace if it wasn't for the fact that Fury had basically relocated her abruptly without any sound reason. Pippa of course didn't dare muster up the courage to ask him why she was practically being shoved in the most unpopular section of the Helicarrier but she found it highly suspicious, and the fact that Fury wasn't telling her why frustrated her to no end.

"I believe congratulations are in order."

Pippa snapped out of her thoughts and watched as Maria, who didn't bother to knock, waltz into the room. Pippa didn't bother to return the congratulatory smile that Maria sent her way and instead scowled at her. Maria decided to ignore Pippa's expression and took a seat on the edge of her desk.

"Project T.A.H.I.T.I.? Very impressive." Maria commented as she glanced at one of the files that were scattered on the desk. Her eyes lingered on the stack of papers for a moment before she directed her attention towards Pippa who still had an unhappy expression etched on her face, "What Coulson? I thought you wanted to be head of a project for ages."

"Yes, under normal circumstances but it feels like Fury doesn't even want me to be a part of the Avengers Initiative anymore." Pippa confided. She never was one to complain and whine, especially to her coworkers, but she couldn't find it in her to stop. Her spirits had been lowered exponentially and all she wanted was to go back where the true action was.

Maria frowned, "You are being a part of the Avengers Initiative, Pippa. What do you think Project T.A.H.I.T.I. is set up for? Dead plants?" she asked trying to inject some humor which went unnoticed by Pippa. The latter crossed her arms as she leaned back in her chair still scowling at Maria who looked a bit uncomfortable but Pippa didn't care. She smelled something fishy and she was determined to get to the bottom of it.

"Tell me none of this is suspicious." Pippa demanded as she gestured towards herself and the crammed workspace that she was currently calling home. Maria shifted a bit uncomfortably for she was in a tough spot. She considered Pippa a friend but at the same time she was an agent sworn to secrecy on certain matters…

"Ah, well..." Maria said as she glanced around the room, "I'm sure Fury has his reasons no doubt." Pippa watched carefully as Maria fidgeted-a sign that Pippa had learned that meant she was nervous and had something to say. Pippa's eyes instinctively narrowed as she pursed her lips in a thin line, clearly displeased that Maria knew something that she didn't. It bothered her. It kept eating away at her stomach, making her feel sick.

"Maria, spit it out."

She didn't mean to snap at her coworker but at the same time being able to get out her frustration relaxed her. After a moment Maria stated to Pippa, "Fury was just concerned."

"Concerned for what?" Pippa cried out losing her patience. She was never one to lose her temper but yet she found herself doing so. A fire was raging through her, rattling her bones and she felt livid.

Maria shook her head hastily trying to explain and diffuse Pippa's mood (glancing nervously around as she did, although they were the only ones there), "He was-he was just afraid that…you know…he didn't want you to…being too friendly with the Cap and all." She muttered all of this rather awkwardly as if she was currently wishing she could be anywhere but in Pippa's workspace. She then hastily added, "It was just a silly precaution, that's all."

Pippa was fuming at this point. Standing up and trying to rein in her annoyance she then managed to get out, "I don't like him _romantically_, I just admire him that's all! What's got everyone into thinking that-"

"Of course." Maria nodded, trying to soothe her coworker, "It was just a precaution Pippa. Nothing serious."

Pippa pretended not to notice the skeptical look that overtook Maria's face and instead directed her attentions to Fury. How could he even think that? It baffled her. Confused her. Irritated her. She was tempted to pace but instead turned to Maria, taking a deep breath as she ran a hand through her hair, "I need some air."

And with that she pivoted and escaped her confinements, ignoring Maria's shouts of opposition. Wanting to clear her head she tried to turn her attentions to other things but instead kept focusing on what Maria had revealed to her. Did Fury really think there was something going on between with her and the Captain? The idea seemed ludicrous and the fact that Fury even had such an idea left a bitter taste in her mouth.

But regardless, it all made sense to her now. That's why he had relocated her space in a remote area of the Helicarrier. That's why he had assigned her to a new project. Pippa knew it was too good to be true when he told her she was assigned as the head of Project T.A.H.I.T.I.

Still fuming Pippa could only think phrases as she walked through the corridors, allowing her feet to lead her this way and that, "As daft as a bush. A true Nutter. Mad as a bag of ferrets he is. Quite a barmy thought if he thinks I-"

"Ah my favorite person!" a voice stated an arm draped around her shoulders. She glanced, startled, at a Mr. Stark (who appeared out of nowhere and) who looked positively tired (not that he would admit that). He offered her an easy winning smile and then patted her shoulder, "Pippa! Been looking all over for you and then I heard that you were tucked away in some little corner." He tsked at the thought.

"Er hello Stark." Pippa said as she tried to remove his arm from her shoulder which was no easy task since it seemed his arm was plastered to her shoulders. He feigned a hurt look but continued his conversation smoothly, "Anyway, I overhead you talking to Pepper about a special someone?" he questioned as he waggled his eyebrows expertly.

_Oh dear lord no. _

"Stark please don't tell me you're trying to interfere in my personal life." Pippa replied flatly as she tried to edge away from him as they both walked down the hallway. He waved his hand rather lazily as he shook his head in denial, "Of course not. Wouldn't dream of it. I was just suggesting that perhaps I could do you a _favor_."

"I'd rather lick sand. But thanks for thinking of me." The agent replied meekly as she wondered where on earth Tony was steering her towards. Tony tsked yet again as he sighed rather dramatically, "I don't think you understand Pippa."

"Then please enlighten me." Pippa told him with a hint of sarcasm. She reminded herself to take deep breaths but she found it rather challenging with him there. She almost didn't notice as the billionaire directed her towards one of the doorways that ran of the hallway. The florescent lighting didn't hide his smile (which showed off his dazzling teeth-which Pippa personally thought were somewhat fake).

As the doors slid automatically opened he then whispered rather loudly in her ear, "I'm just saying that you can't give up. As I like to say, love is a battlefield-"

"Actually Pat Benatar said that." Pippa interrupted him as they stepped through the entrance. Tony stopped abruptly and gave her a look that basically stated: 'don't rain on my parade.' After a moment he shrugged, dismissing her comment (making Pippa tempted to roll her eyes) although he seemed somewhat sulky.

"Doesn't matter." Tony grumbled looking rather discouraged much to Pippa's secret delight. She never knew Tony could get his feathers ruffled. He continued. "The point is that I am personally offering the opportunity for you to fly out to wherever he is. Keep the love alive." He urged. It wasn't until he finished his little speech that Pippa realized where she was:

In the briefing room.

With all of the Avengers sitting there.

Staring.

Pippa really disliked Stark at this particular moment. Heat consumed her cheeks as she took in the five pairs of eyes that were staring at her (Tony Stark had walked off leaving her to her own devices as he took over Fury's spot on the Bridge where control panels were at his disposal). Startled at seeing one particular person, her eyes widened, "Atticus, what are you doing here?"

The owner of the name gave a small smile, "They needed someone to assist with Dr. Banner's work and I volunteered. It didn't seem right to leave." He added the last sentence as an afterthought, his eyes twinkling with something….was it happiness?

"You know him?" Dr. Banner asked looking rather confused between the two figures. He cleared his throat awkwardly before he asked this as he twiddled his thumbs. He may have looked ridiculous doing such an action but he found himself rather restless.

Pippa nodded simply, "He worked with S.H.I.E.L.D. previously."

She didn't notice that a certain somebody was staring between her and Atticus-his blue eyes penetrating. Banner took this in silently before commenting, "He made some valuable critiques when we were analyzing the scepter earlier."

Pippa personally thought Atticus was about to faint from happiness. With a genuine smile (her spirit had lifted tremendously) she then realized that she was obviously interrupting their important meeting. Inching towards the door she then ran her hand through her hair once again, "I should get going. I apologize for interrupting." She didn't want to think what state Fury would be in if he caught her out of her office with the one person he didn't want to see her with. But at the same time, with a wave of irritation running through her veins, she frankly didn't care what he thought.

"Nonsense." Tony stated, not taking his eyes from the many graphs that appeared before him. He let his fingers delicately glide across some, adjusting some as he went along, "I'm sure Fury wouldn't mind you taking a small break from you work."

"But-"

"Take a seat Pippa." Banner agreed, gesturing with eyes towards two seats that were currently unoccupied. One was at the end of the table next to Natasha who looked as if she had just swallowed a lemon. The other was in between the Captain and Dr. Banner. Offering a rather stiff smile she slipped into the seat between the two men, trying to ignore Natasha's eyes that were trained on her.

"By the way, they would need Iridium because it's a stabilizing agent." Tony called out as he intensely studied a graph with a small frown on his face. Somehow Pippa didn't think such an expression suited him. Where did the flawless cocky billionaire go?

"Meaning the portal won't collapse on itself." Atticus mused looking as if he was trying to piece together a complex puzzle. Pippa watched as he glanced towards Banner who nodded slowly, "Loki could have the portal open as wide and as long as he wants."

Pippa tried to pretend she knew exactly what they were talking about while in reality she rather disliked chemistry and scientific matters. One look at Rogers told her that he was as lost as her when it came to this conversation.

"How does Fury even do this?" Tony asked. Pippa glanced to see him covering one eye as he tried to take all the monitors in. Pippa tried her best not to laugh at how ridiculous Tony looked and instead crossed her arms as she made her way towards him. "He turns." She told him as if it sounded obvious.

"Sounds rather exhausting if you ask me," Tony declared as Pippa joined him (pretending not to be curious at what he was doing), "The rest of the raw materials are easy enough to find I suspect. The only major component he still needs is a power source…a high density power source to kick start the cube."

"And when do you become an expert in thermonuclear astrophysics?" Pippa asked looking at him with disbelief and a hint of awe.

"Last night: the packet, Dr. Selvig's notes, the Extraction Theory papers." He said promptly looking rather smug with himself. He then narrowed his eyes as he turned towards the group that were still sitting around the table, "Am I the only one who did the reading?"

"Course not." Atticus piped up looking rather pleased with himself. Tony beamed at him, pointing at Atticus, "Good man you are." Atticus looked positively jovial at Stark's words but kept quiet (even though he looked like he was about to burst with happiness).

"Does Loki need any particular type of power source? That stick of his might seem a bit like magic but it reminds me awfully a lot of a HYDRA weapon." Steve interjected sounding a bit annoyed, or at least it sounded that way to Pippa's ears. Pippa let her eyes flicker towards him, their eyes meeting for a mere moment before she hastily tried to look interested at something else, anything else.

"I don't know about that-Coulson, aren't you supposed to buried under a mountain of paperwork?" a voice demanded. Pippa managed to look at the owner of the disapproving voice and swallowed thickly. At that moment Pippa wished should could scamper off or at least dig a hole and hide in it.

"Wasn't her fault Fury. Honestly I don't know why you have her tucked away where no sunlight reaches." Stark commented, looking a bit suspicious towards the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. The towering man looked unamused but didn't comment back. Pippa herself was a bit surprised. Was Stark actually defending her? She supposed there was a first time for everything. She made a mental note to thank him if an opportunity ever occurred. Or maybe not. She didn't want to make his ego inflate any more, it was already gigantic.

Fury looked displeased but changed the subject as Pippa crept towards the entrance way to sneak back to her workspace (although she really didn't want to return back to her little corner), "As I was saying I don't know if it resembles a HYDRA weapon but I do believe the cube powers Loki's scepter. I'd also like to know how he managed to make two of the sharpest men I know into his personal flying monkeys."

Teetering near the doorway, wanting to stay but knowing she should go, she swiftly removed herself from the room.

* * *

Tucking a rather resistant piece of hair behind her ear she walked the corridors as silently as she could possibly achieve. For the most part the passage ways were deserted and somehow this pleased her. As she did her best to make her way towards her quarters soundlessly she thought about the events that took place the last few hours. With a small swipe of her card against the scanner she entered her temporary room, creeping in the darkness (except for a light of the digital clock on her desk which stated it was well past midnight). She silently urged her eyes to adjust so she could see easier but after a moment opted to turn on the lamp near her bed instead.

The light shone bleakly throughout the room making everything look rather dull. Stretching nimbly she sat on the thin mattress and let herself relax for a moment before silently changing into her matching cotton pajama set (which this time had the saying: I Moose Be Sleeping printed all over the fabric-another present from her mom). Stifling a yawn she turned out the dingy light the lamp offered and climbed under the thin covers, praying wearily she would be able to catch at least a couple hours of uninterrupted sleep.

The quietness of her surroundings made her feel at peace as she closed her eyes, ready to succumb to darkness. Yet for some reason she couldn't find sleep. The Sandman seemed to have skipped her once again. Tossing and turning for a while she finally decided to stare at the green light the digital clock offered, watching as the time changed gradually.

It wasn't until 2:36 when Pippa had the first hint of drowsiness that affected her so much that she closed her eyes. Eagerly welcoming sleep she settled under the sheets comfortably and did her best to clear her mind. With a small sigh she eased into a rather choppy sleep.

* * *

_Footsteps._

_That's what she could hear as she sat in the darkness. Or was she standing? She didn't know for sure. The complete pitch blackness that surrounded her had swallowed up her senses for the most part except for her hearing. Her hearing was so perfectly attuned that she was confident she could hear a mouse drop a crumb fifty miles away. _

_Shuffling. _

_Those clear decisive footsteps now were blurred. The owner of such footsteps was clearly hesitating. But why? She longed to know why. _

_A creak._

_A moan._

_She felt her nails ding into the palm of her hand as she clenched her hands-clenched her teeth. Someone was coming. She was sure of it. Yet the darkness continued on and she had no sense of direction. She decided it didn't matter. She would be able to weed out the stranger from the darkness with her hearing. _

_Stillness._

_Nothing. _

_Stretching out her neck she tried her best to look at her surroundings but could detect nothing. She was sure someone was there waiting in the darkness. Watching. A feeling of fear shook through her but she ignored it. She was confident in her hearing abilities still…_

_And then a weight hit her and she drowned. How unfair it all was. She didn't even have a fighting chance._

Her eyes flew open and she clutched the wrist of her killer. Her murderer. Trying to scream the best she could manage even though she was still groggy she dug her nails in the flesh that threatened to kill her. Raspy muffled noises managed to get out of her mouth even though a hand was still over her mouth. She begged her eyes to adjust to the darkness but no such luck.

She kicked. But she only kicked air. Her assassin must be standing towards the side of her bed. Trying to move towards the figure she gripped the hand instead of the arm and tried to pry it off as best as she could.

"Pippa! It's me." A voice whispered through the stillness of the room. She froze as an icy sweat ran through her. She waited a moment longer for her eyes to adjust to the darkness, which when they finally did she was able to make out an outline of a figure who was kneeling by her bedside.

Quickly releasing her grip she could feel the pads of his fingers, the palm of his hand, slowly and gently be lifted from her face. Sitting upright she gasped, taking in deep breaths, "What the hell was that for?" she demanded, trying to send him furious glare through the darkness. Hero or not, she was mad at him for almost causing her a heart attack.

"Language." He simply stated.

With a rather irritated huff (she wasn't exactly the most cheerful person when she woke up, especially under situations such as this) and a small soft chime of laughter from the other party she continued to glare at him (even though she knew he couldn't see it), rephrasing her question, "What was that for?" she grumbled.

A pause. A small intake of breath. Then, "I need your help."

Waking up a bit more and becoming rather interested she looked at him curiously, "What for?" She then added, "This is ridiculous. Turn on the light. I can hardly see a thing."

"I can see fine." He stated, sounding rather amused. Pippa growled (she acknowledged it wasn't very ladylike of her) as she realized he had enhanced senses. A moment later the dull light was turned on thanks to him and Pippa was allowed to finally see her surroundings. Wasting no time he continued, "Fury trusts you."

Pippa almost laughed at the thought but let him continue anyway.

"I need you to help me access a secured storage unit. It's currently locked but I know you would have clearance." He stated, finishing all he had to say. Chewing on the bottom of her lip she looked skeptically at him, "Why can't you just use your super strength and open the door yourself? I mean, after all isn't that how you got into my _room_?" she asked as she noticed the door to her room being slightly ajar. She knew for a fact that she didn't leave it in that condition.

She watched with amazement as what seemed to be a slight shade of pink spring on his cheeks as his eyes fluttered away from her for moment before returning to her face, "I'd rather not break more doors than I have to."

Pursing her lips she shifted under her covers, realizing he was currently seeing her in her _embarrassing_ pajamas. Mentally grumbling to herself she tried to adjust her rather flat pillow.

"Pippa…please." He whispered as she felt his hand graze her hair and land on her shoulder. She looked to see him now crouching beside her. Now eye level she watched his eyes take on a pleading look. Trying to ignore his warm hand on her shoulder she chewed on the inside of her cheek as she debated for a moment. She didn't even _know_ if she would have the clearance to enter a secure storage unit. She never really tried.

But his burning hand on her shoulder made her a bit breathless and it made her waver.

"Oh all right." She muttered, "But I make no promises. For all I know I might not even have clearance."

He offered her a small smile, "Thank you Pippa."

And then it was over in a flash. He withdrew his hand from her shoulder, straightened back up to his full height, and took a step back making her wonder if she had imagined him placing his hand on her shoulder. As if she had imagined him being eye level with her. As if she imagined him kneeling beside her bedside.

He put distance between them. Not just physical. But mentally as well.

Feeling a bit dazed as she tried to shake off the burning sensation that laid upon her shoulder he then cleared his throat, "I um…I'll let you get changed." He said as he then exited the room. She mentally scolded herself when it came to the choices she made.

_"__Damn him for being so charming."_ She thought as she quickly got dressed into the standard uniform and threw her hair up in a rather messy ponytail. She noticed as she put on her shoes that the trading card that fell out of her binder was still lying on top of the dresser. She made a mental note to return it back to its protective covering when she got back. Hurrying out the door to meet him they then started off at a quick but comfortable pace.

Feeling more awake by the minute she then looked at him curiously as they walked stealthily through the halls of the Helicarrier, "Why do you want to enter a storage area in the first place?"

"I just have a hunch."

He then saw her expression and then added, "If I'm right I'll explain everything. I promise."

With a satisfied nod she allowed Steve to lead the way. She surprised that the corridors were completely barren but then she reminded herself that it was unbearably very early in the morning.

It was like a maze. She tried to remember the path. Left. Right. Right. Down the stairs. Left. Straight. Sharp turn to the left. It finally occurred to herself that she wouldn't be able to memorize the path. Trusting him (more than she probably should), they finally reached a door that was unmarked but was unmistakably a storage unit. She briefly studied the scanner towards the side of the door and against her better judgement slipped out her ID card and held it up against it.

She was surprised that there was a click, signaling the thick steel door was unlocked (though she tried her best to mask her shock). Pushing it open tentatively she crept into the room that was filled with rather large black storage boxes. The storage containers were all stacked on top of each other and were pushed against the walls. Looking uncertain she glanced at him. He was observing one of the boxes before he pushed the top aside. This was no easy task (as they were very heavy) but he managed easily. Joining him where he stood she peered inside-curiosity eating away at her (although she would never admit it).

She felt sick.

"I knew it." He muttered before taking one of the objects out of the container as if it weighed nothing. With a grimace he then turned on his heel and quickly left the scene, leaving her completely frozen.

* * *

**Author's Note: Review?**

Clint or Steve? Or Atticus?

Anyone excited that Atticus came back?

Fact (I'm full of facts right now): **Clint should be coming back in the next chapter or at least I'm 99.99% sure he will. I have yet to ask him if he can fit me into his busy schedule. **

As always **I am always scared I do not write Steve accurately, or any of the other characters for that matter.** If some don't seem accurate enough please don't hesitate to tell me.

**In the meantime, tell me what you think. **

Much love,

_The Painted Green Door_

**P.S. Did anyone get the sense that Steve might have manipulated Pippa in helping him just a wee bit?**


	10. Trading Blood

**Note:** Karen, a guest, asked if I could update this weekend. So I sat for a day or so and wrote this.

**This is dedicated to all of those who have been waiting patiently for the next chapter (or impatiently).**

It's also a very long chapter, so enjoy.

**Thank you as always for the love and support i have received. I cannot believe this story is nearing 40 Favorites and 90 Follows. It feels unreal. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. **

**GOAL: Total of 95+ Reviews**

(This story is almost nearing 100 Reviews. I'm kind of speechless right now)

One more thing before I stop bothering you: **Hawkeye managed to fit me into his busy schedule. He was very nice about it. **

* * *

_There's nothing that I'd take back_

_But it's hard to say there's nothing I regret_

_Cause when I sing, you shout_

_I breathe out loud_

_You bleed, we crawl like animals_

_But when it's over I'm still awake_

\- _Silhouettes by Of Monsters and Men_

* * *

**Chapter Nine:**

* * *

"Captain Rogers, please-"

"Don't try to talk me out of it." He said flatly as he continued his way down the corridor but Pippa noticed how he slowed his stride down just a tiny bit much to her relief. Quickening her pace so she could catch up to him she was tempted to reach out her hand towards him but thought better of it.

Slightly pursing her lips in a thin line she let her nails dig into the palm of her hand, "I just think we should be logical about how we go about this." She said carefully, trying to construct the best response as she possibly could. She tried to ignore the insistent sick feeling that flooded her stomach and made her feel rather faint. Trying to remain as calm as possible she watched as he spare her glance.

"This needs to be addressed as soon as possible." He paused as his eyes bored into hers as she remained as still as ever, "I thought of all people you would understand Pippa." With a small exasperated sigh coming out of his mouth he rubbed his left temple as if it would somehow soothe him.

"I _do_ understand." Pippa snapped, furious at herself for losing her temper and furious at the Captain for believing she was insensitive. She understood where he was coming from but it was illogical to think that this was the best time to burst into the room and demand to know what was going on. It was still early in the morning and she acknowledged Steve's emotions were running high.

Her nails dug into the skin of her palms as she closed her eyes for a brief moment, "I just think that we need to plan about how we address it. Early in the morning while everyone is resting probably isn't the best time."

She opened her eyes to reveal a calmer looking Captain Rogers standing before her. Although his eyes still didn't lose the fire that burned in them, he did seem a bit more relaxed. After a moment he spoke quietly, "Then what do you suggest we do?"

Pippa paused, her eyes searching his face for any hints of emotion. She found herself detecting nothing which frustrated her. Her eyes faltered and she found herself staring at the ground, "At least wait until the sun is up." That would at least buy her an hour or so before he caused chaos.

A pause. A moment of silence. It made Pippa wonder if he had heard her. Or perhaps he had heard her but disregarded her words. Then:

"Fine. I'll wait until sunrise." He said finally. Pippa looked up to say her thanks but he was already walking swiftly down the dim corridor, the weapon clasped in his hand. Having some difficulty swallowing and breathing, she put her hand up against the wall for support. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. This wasn't how any of it was supposed to go. Trying to collect her emotions she bit on the bottom of her lip, not caring that she drew blood.

After a minute of silence she managed to get most of her emotions under wraps. Not knowing what to do next she walked at a slow pace to her quarters. Her mind was running with fragments of thoughts and for the first time in quite a while she felt utterly awake. As she reached her room she glanced at the door that was still open by just a tiny sliver. She didn't want to think about how she would explain to Fury why her door was broken. Shifting all her weight against the door she managed to move it enough to slip through the other side.

Her lamp was still on, casting an eerie glow on all that reached its path. Suppressing a shudder she removed herself from the room. She couldn't stay there. With a small sigh she wandered down the passageway, mulling over her thoughts.

"Greetings Pippa."

Snapping out of her thoughts she watched as a rather massive Thor came striding through the corridor. He looked rather out of place due to the silver armor plates that covered his fitted black shirt and the rather bulky metallic armbands that were clasped around each of his wrists. His large masculine frame took up a good portion of the hallway and Pippa felt herself become a bit shy around this Norse God.

Perhaps under lighter circumstances she would have taken the time to admire him: his skin glowed radiantly, his body was the shape of a body builder and she was convinced that if she touched his sharp jawline she would cut herself. When she first overheard one of her coworkers giggling over his good looks during one of her many coffee runs she seemed skeptical. But now she understood slightly understood. However, instead of fawning over him she gave a simple morose nod as a greeting, "Thor."

"Might I ask you a question?" he asked as he changed his original direction and walked alongside of her at a rather slow but steady pace.

Pippa was a bit flabbergasted that this Norse God had something to ask of her (after all she was only human and not even part of the Avengers Initiative) but nevertheless nodded, managing to manipulate the corners of her lips to curve upward, "You just did, but go right ahead."

He hesitated as they traveled, "It's about Jane."

Pippa nodded clasping her hands behind her back, "Ah, yes. You'll be glad to know that as soon Loki took Dr. Selvig, we moved Jane Foster. We've got an excellent observatory in Traunsee. She was asked to consult there very suddenly yesterday. Handsome fee, private plane, very remote. A very secure place. She'll be safe there."

Pippa watched as relief filled Thor's eyes and for a moment he seemed rather relaxed. He directed a small look of gratitude towards her, "Thank you. It's no accident that Loki took Erik Selvig. I dread what he plans for him once he's done. Erik is a good man."

She nodded silently as she struggled with swallowing. She knew he was a good man. He may have annoyed her by not writing his reports on time but she knew he was a good man. There was a thick silence that filled between them as they carried their journey to who knew where-it seemed like both of them just seemed content in walking to nowhere in particular.

"He talked about you. You changed his life. You changed everything around here," The young agent managed to get out quietly, stopping in her tracks. He followed her movement and looked at her with curiosity in his eyes. Or perhaps it was bewilderment.

Then he grimaced as if somehow the words struck him as offensive, "They were better as they were-"

_"__Coulson, report to Dr. Banner's laboratory."_ Fury stated this through the good amount of feedback that rang through her earpiece. Silently wincing at the sound, she tried to shake off the high pitch that threatened to cause her a headache. Had it already been an hour?

_"__Now,"_ Fury's voice directed in her ear. More feedback screeched in her ear and this time she couldn't help but squeak out a sound of discomfort. Thor gave her a quizzical look as she tried to ignore the acidic feeling that was eating away at her. With a small mutter of intelligible words she hurried towards the laboratory feeling more nauseous with every step. It didn't occur to her until she almost reached the door that Thor had been following in hot pursuit.

Hurriedly opening the door she involuntarily flinched at the sight of the familiar faces that were gathered there: Director Fury, Dr. Banner, Atticus, Natasha, Tony Stark and…

"Director Fury, you called?" Pippa managed to say rather smoothly as she tried to ignore the piercing blue eyes that stared at her. On the inside her heart was pounding and her mind was running all over the place. She could have been born yesterday and still notice Fury's displeased expression. But instead of crumpling to pieces she remained intact. With a cool expression she managed to raise one eyebrow in question-as if she didn't know why she was here.

"Coulson, I don't remember giving Captain Rogers access to secure storage units." The director stated as he glanced between the two figures. She watched out of the corner of her eye as Rogers shifted his position and opened his mouth. But Fury swiftly held up his hand to silence him, "Yet, it seems he's managed to get past security."

The Captain clearly had enough. Lying a hand on Fury's shoulder he tried to get the man to look at him, "Pippa didn't do anything wrong. I was the one who convinced her-"

"I take responsibility for my actions, Sir," Pippa stated almost robotically as she gave her supervisor a blank look. Her eyes then flickered to Rogers, "I asked him if he could do me a favor and investigate some of the Helicarrier's lesser known areas."

Silence.

"I'm sure there's a misunderstanding." Dr. Banner's voice interjected lightly. Atticus nodded eagerly at these words, a ray of hope apparent on his face. She could sense Natasha shifting in the room. No doubt the spy was trying to figure out who was lying and who was telling the truth.

_"__Let her guess,"_ Pippa thought_, "I'm a rather decent liar when I need to be."_

"Coulson, I did as much as I possibly could to prevent this." Fury finally said as he glanced towards her and Rogers. He almost seemed frustrated as he sighed, "As much as I hate to do it, I have to follow protocol. Your actions will have to be brought to the attention of the World Security Council. There you will stand trial for the several violations of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s policies and codes that you have performed. Do you understand?"

Pippa swallowed, trying to speak even though her mouth had run dry, "Yes, sir."

"Now wait a minute. I find this all rather murky." Tony interjected, stepping closer to peer into Pippa's face. Under normal circumstances she would have appreciated Tony pointing out that something wasn't right, but this particular moment she needed it to believable. She needed to sell her story, "Someone's lying and I have a feeling it isn't Pippa."

A small scoff, "Course not Stark. You're all about your gut feeling, aren't you?" Rogers said this with a displeased look on his face as he glanced warily at the billionaire. Pippa was sure that he was sizing up his enemy, ready at any moment to pounce.

Natasha sniffed slightly as she crossed her arms, "Look, she admitted to doing it."

"What's that supposed to mean from the guy who lives in a Spangled uniform?" Stark said (ignoring Natasha's words), blinking a bit furiously. Personally, Tony hadn't expected such an issue from the Captain especially when he was the original one that stated Pippa didn't do anything wrong. Thor gave a small chuckle as Natasha tried to get the situation under control (though her attempts were useless).

Pippa watched with slight bewilderment as Steve stepped closer to Tony. She had never seen him this tense and aggressive. His eyes flashed as he clenched his jaw slightly, "You've had a problem with me ever since Germany-"

Dr. Banner tried to calm down the situation as he cleared his throat awkwardly. He tried removed his shirt collar from the sweaty back of his neck, "Uh guys, can't we just all-"

A roar sounded throughout the room making Pippa's ears scream. Closing her eyes, she gasped trying to inhale some air. But then the heat hit her. Squeezing her eyes shut she choked on the hot, burning air. She was sure she was going to melt any moment. Breathless she surprisingly welcomed the feeling that she was weightless. It almost felt…nice.

And then it hit her. Or perhaps she hit it. She wasn't sure. Struggling to open her eyes she found her line of vision unfocused. Dazed, she laid there on the floor, watching with a glazed look as shards of glass flew through the room and flames licked the ceiling. Her mind slowly realized there was a gaping hole in the opposite corner of where she laid and that Natasha, Atticus and Dr. Banner were nowhere to be seen.

"Coulson, are you alright?"

She blinked a few times as she tried to concentrate on the voice. She was sure she heard it before. It sounded familiar. Something touched her. Something made contact with her that made her gasp slightly. Her eyes finally traveled to a face. Tony Stark was peering down at her, his brown eyes boring holes in her skull. She managed to swat away his hand lazily, "Coulson, can you hear-"

"I'm fine." Pippa managed to get out with a small. She managed with some difficulty to get to her feet, pretending she was functioning normally as she leaned against the damaged wall for support. Adjusting her earpiece she cleared her throat, ready to say something but Fury beat her to it, _"Hill, what's going on?"_

_"__Number 3 engine is down. Gerrit says that the turbine's loose. Mostly intact, but impossible to make repairs while we're up in the air." _A small pause. Then, _"Sir, if we lose one more engine-"_

_"__Someone's got to get inside and patch that engine." _Fury muttered, his voice coming in almost intelligible through her earpiece. Pippa glanced at Stark who clearly heard the conversation. A determined look was blazing in his eyes as he gave a stiff nod before giving the Captain a meaningful look and hurrying off.

Now they were alone.

It was just the two of them.

"Do we need to get you a medic?"

She ignored him, pushing past him-their shoulders brushing. Her mind was reeling with thoughts-with protocols she had to follow. Surely her violations had to be ignored in this moment-too much was going on that required her attention. She briefly heard footsteps following her but she concentrated on ignoring the sound.

Yet a hand grasped her shoulder making her slightly wince in pain. She was spun around to come face to face with Rogers who still hadn't lost the aggressive look in his eye, "Pippa, you aren't in the condition to- "

_"__Coulson, I need you to initiate official lockdown in the detention section and then get to the armory. Move out!"_

With Fury's directions ringing clear and loud she quickly shrugged off his grasp on her. She felt her energy coming back and adrenaline began pumping through her veins. Turning on her heel she quickly scampered away from _him_. She forced to clear her head of any off topic thoughts and concentrated on the task she was expected to fulfill. As she hurried down towards the detention section she tried to awake from the numb feeling that was soaking in. Was she going into shock? She couldn't afford to. Not at a time like this. Continuing her journey to the detention center in silence, she ultimately froze at a sound.

She was sure she heard something. A grunt maybe? A footstep perhaps? Glancing around her surroundings, she scanned them desperately. She was convinced that she had heard something unnatural but perhaps she was wrong…

Trying to shake off the queasy feeling in her stomach and her gut feeling that screamed at her to go on the defensive, she set off at a quick pace. The sooner she reached the detention center, the better. She held onto the metal railing for support as she made her way through the narrow passageway.

A quick blow to the jaw.

A startled small cry ripping through the air.

A small hiss.

Suddenly the brunette found herself on the ground with a tip of something sharp digging into her forehead. Eyes drifting upwards she managed a flimsy smile. Of course. An arrow. She expected nothing less of him.

"Barton, good of you to show up." She said coolly in response of her aching jawbone. She prayed it wasn't broken though she supposed she wouldn't have been able to talk if it truly was out of place. Her fingertips grazed her leg as she tried to reach for her gun. Just as she managed to graze the cool metal of her weapon another blow to the jaw came. This time however, blood came with it. Spitting out the irony taste in her mouth she grimaced as she saw her gun land several feet away from her.

Wasting no time she did her best to unbalance him with a swift kick to the back of the knee. Unsettled, he wound up on the floor and Pippa managed to collect herself during this small amount of time. Crawling over she did her best to get him in a headlock, but she realized this was a foolish mistake since he was not only larger than her, but stronger as well. But regardless, she did her best to cling onto the rather weak grasp she had around his head.

It was over in a matter of seconds as he eventually won-an arrow once again making contact on her forehead as she was pinned to the ground. Gasping and slightly wheezing she managed to get out a half-hearted amused smile, "Always one for theatrics. You had so many opportunities to kill me before this." She said this as she gestured with her eyes between him and the arrow that still dug into her skin.

"I always like a good show before the finale." The expert bowman snarled, his abnormal blue eyes searing Pippa's own eyes. She disregarded the small shiver of fear that ran down her spine. His hue of blue was somewhat frightening: cold, distant, unfocused, full of a fire that was uncontrollable. Pippa felt uncomfortable at the thought that such eyes reminded her of….no. They were completely different people.

Pippa licked her dry lips, tasting some blood as she did, "Then shoot me."

She narrowed her eyes as she noticed his hesitation, "Kill me Barton. Do it. Take the arrow and place it through me." She noticed that the arrow's pressure intensified and she kept the pain that she was feeling within herself. She knew she was playing a dangerous game. She was gambling with her life. Flirting with death. But she was convinced that he was still himself. Somewhere in him there was that old Barton that she knew.

Her vision blurred as she felt herself being swiftly slammed against the wall, her feet just dangling above the ground, and a hand securely gripping the circumference of her throat. The pain she felt due to be slammed against the metal surface was dulled as she tried to peel away his fingers with her desperate hands. A cold sweat was breaking out on her forehead and a dizzy spell came over her. She closed her eyes trying to concentrate on breathing.

Perhaps she was wrong. Perhaps Loki was that powerful that he could erase a person completely and fill them with the epitome of-of…

A small wheeze.

And then she could breathe. She was free, her side aching from the fact that she was brutally dropped-but she was free nevertheless. She watched the world sideways for a moment as she tried to get air through her lungs. And then she realized that there were two pairs of feet on the ground.

Brushing herself off as quickly as she could manage, she swayed onto her feet with a surprised look on her face. She couldn't wrap her mind around the scene that was playing in front of her.

"If you know what's good for you Coulson, you'll get to the detention center." Natasha managed to direct towards the agent as she put Barton in a successful headlock. Pippa gave a small nod before she scampered away, not daring to look back. Respect filled her body as she realized that Natasha had practically saved her. Pippa wasn't the type to pretend she had everything under control-and she realized that there was a decent chance Barton would have killed her.

Aching, she tightened her grip on the railing as she made a small detour. She knew she was supposed to lockdown the detention center first but something in her gut told her to get to the armory first. With a small tremble to her fingers, she reached the sealed door and scanned her ID card. This time she wasn't surprised when the door clicked and she was granted access. Instead, she lifted one of the largest weapons that she could find out of the already open container and hurried towards her final destination.

Regaining some of her breath, Pippa felt the adrenaline pump through her veins. She almost seemed back to her old self. Almost. Her thoughts consisted of a blur of things that she couldn't realize. Instead, she focused on her fingers that clutched her prized possession and the design of it. Although it weighed a considerable amount, it was sleek and clearly designed with one intention in mind:

To kill.

* * *

She crept silently as she could around the corner. She was sure she heard voices-voices that she didn't know. Voices she weren't supposed to know. Her eyes searched her surroundings and landed on the back of a bulky figure who had a gun glued to his hands. Muttering a small profanity she looked at her own weapon as she flattened herself against the wall.

As much as she wanted to know what exactly her Phase 2 prototype did, she realized it would create a disturbance and ruin her element of surprise. With a small grimace she tried to figure out a plan as she teetered closer to the guard. She supposed the butt of the gun would be just as useful…

With a calculated hit to the back of the head the guard gave a small yelp, turning only a small degree before Pippa quickly established another blow to the back of the head. Adrenaline still coursing through her veins she watched as the guard's body collapsed to the floor. Peeking behind the corner she almost vomited at the scene. And then it happened. Her usual sensibility was forgotten and instead, blind courage filled her as Pippa made her way out into the open.

"Move away please." Pippa said with mock politeness as she watched Loki's fingers dance just centimeters away from the panel's many buttons. She was surprised her voice didn't fail her, but at the same time she was pleased it didn't. She glanced at Thor who looked immensely grateful to see her.

_"__We'll get you out."_ She thought, almost wishing he could read her mind at this point in time.

She watched with some amusement as the escaped prisoner did as she asked. She took a small step closer towards him, "You like this? We started working on the prototype after you sent The Destroyer." Pippa then paused, daring to take another step towards him, carefully aiming the weapon, "Even I don't know what it does."

The figure chuckled, "This-This is the best that S.H.I.E.L.D.'s got? My day is full of disappointments."

Rage filled Pippa as she clenched her teeth, "Make a move. I dare yo-"

Her breath hitched as a searing pain hit her. She wanted to scream but she couldn't find it in herself to do so. In that moment all her senses seemed to become muted. She knew she was slumped against the wall, she knew she was lying on the floor-but she didn't feel it. She didn't register Thor's shout or the moan that reached her lips.

"I made my move." The Norse God of Mischief said with a rather sardonic smile as he glanced down at her before almost gracefully moving back to the panel. She didn't think about how he somehow managed to teleport himself. She didn't think about how foolish she ran into the situation.

Instead, she focused on getting through the pain. The hot searing pain that threatened to rip her apart. She squeezed her eyes shut trying to steady herself. She had to concentrate on the issue at hand or else she would never forgive herself. Opening her eyes to a scene that was clearer than before, she gaped slightly as the cell dropped through the open hatch.

That was his own brother and yet there were no signs of remorse visible on his face. She gasped slightly, fumbling with the weapon that was still in her grasp. She turned it, trying to find the trigger. Stalling for time she gave a whisper, "You're not even sorry that you sent your own brother hurtling towards Earth."

He turned away from the panel, his eyes dancing mischievously as he took a few steps in her direction. He gave imitated a rather fake bow, "My apologies. I'd love to stay but there are other things I must attend to."

With that, his robes swept behind him as he turned to glide out of the room. She couldn't have that. She had to buy more time, "You're going to lose." Her hands gripped the Phase 2 prototype as she did her best aim it as best as she could without being obvious. Everything seemed like a huge effort at this point and she felt rather tired.

"Am I?" he sneered, edging towards her. He then carried on in a patronizing tone, "Your heroes are scattered, your floating fortress if falling from the sky-do tell me where my disadvantage is because I would love to hear it."

Pippa swallowed with some difficulty, "You lack conviction."

Her fingers fumbled with the trigger but she managed. She had to see this through no matter what. She watched him carefully as he sent her an incredulous look. With a brief short laugh the Norse God smirked, "I don't think I-"

Perfect.

Pulling the trigger with all the strength she could muster. She watched with sheer amazement as a force of power hit her target-pushing him through the wall. She supposed she might get in trouble for the huge gaping hole but at the moment she didn't care. With a small sigh she let the gun slip through her hands and clatter to the floor beside her.

And then the question hit her:

Was she going to die?

As absurd as it sounded, she didn't think about death a lot. Or at least her own death. But now that the question arose she found herself panicking. Of course she didn't want to die-it was never in her plans until she was retired and gray haired. She had of course, had some close calls with death but she always survived, taking it for granted.

But now death was here at her doorstep and she was scared. She started realizing all the little events in her life she wished she had handled better. Done different. When was the last time she visited her own mother? Or visited her father's grave? When was time-

"Coulson, stay awake!"

Like an anchor, the voice made her come back. Blinking, she found herself staring at a rather blurred outline of Fury. Her mind she have been asking her when did he arrive on the scene, but instead she wondered if there was a sense of time after death. Was time a big part after death-did it go fast or run slow? Or did it not exist?

"I'm sorry about the wall." She found herself rasping out. She watched as his face warped into something-was it anger? Confusion? She couldn't detect anything anymore. She didn't know anymore. She consisted of questions that went unanswered.

"You think I care about a damn_ wall_?"

Pippa shrugged, or at least tried to. She found herself extremely worn out and was tempted to just close her eyes-just for a minute. Instead, she just gazed up at him.

Was she going to die?

As if submerged under water everything began to slowly sink. But surprisingly, she welcomed the change. She rather liked the feeling of sinking into a speck of nothingness. It was…relaxing. And then it swept into her mind, wove into her brain, settled into her thoughts:

_Coulson…_

_Coulson!_

_Coulson?_

* * *

_Death twitches my ear. "Live," he says, "I am coming."_

* * *

**Author's Note:** Okay, so you guys might hate me but to be honest I was originally thinking of ending this chapter at the point where Pippa finally gets her hands on the Phase 2 Prototype. But I didn't, so don't completely hate me.

The last sentence was a quote by Virgil, an ancient Roman poet for those who may be a bit confused.

**So Review? (And I do apologize yet again for my love of increments of five) Some things you can answer in your review if you don't know what to write about:**

**Team Steve? Team Clint? Team Atticus? **

**Thoughts on Hawkeye finally coming back? Thoughts on Fury? Thoughts on Loki? Thor? Basically thoughts on everyone? In character, out of character? Poorly written, well written? ****What's going to happen to Pippa? How is everyone going to react-as in how do you think Steve and Clint are going to react?**

Sorry, I'm ranting. Please forgive me.

**Better yet: Is this story finished?**

Much love,

_The Painted Green Door_

P.S. The answer to that last question is: No.


	11. Trading Pain

**Note: For those who don't want to waste their time reading the following and just want to get on with the story, I totally understand. But before you move on to the story, know that I do apologize for this poorly written chapter.**

For those who are reading this still: first of all: **Thank you.** Thank you for all of the amazing support you have shown, whether that means favorites, follows, reviews, alerts or just reading this story. You have shown continued support for not just this story but for me as well and I am so thankful that there's an amazing group of readers who enjoy this story.

Second: **I apologize for the long delay.** Yes, the long delay. So what happened? I got a bit lost, a bit scared, a bit confused. Scared because of all the support you have shown and I didn't want to disappoint any of you. Lost because when I sat down to write this chapter no inspiration came to me whatsoever. I just sat and stared at any empty screen. This occurred for several days. Confused because I was second guessing myself and I started to wonder if I should continue this story. But I couldn't bring myself to put it on hiatus-or worse delete it because I knew you guys were waiting patiently and excited for the next installment. And that's not fair to you. I also started to question myself about the length of this story. Would anyone want to read a sequel of this story? I started to have some self doubt. And due to my long break I felt out of touch with the characters. **And in the end, this resulted in the most poorly written chapter ever. If you want to stop reading this story, I have no hard feelings towards you. **

Third: **I also had to answer and figure out some important questions.** For those of you that have been dying to see Project TAHITI, I apologize but you won't see it in this chapter. After some long thought I have decided that Pippa needs some more interaction with Project TAHITI. Project TAHITI will come in later but not right now. I am truly sorry if this disappoints anyone.

Fourth: Never think that I don't appreciate all of the support, because I do. I really do. And **I thank you for the bottom of my heart. You guys blew me away with the amount of response you showed due to the last chapter. Thank you. **

Moving on to lighter topics:

I was able to see **Ant Man** a couple of days ago and it was amazing (plus they made references to some of the Avengers). Has anyone else seen it?

**I didn't mean to make this the longest Author's note on the planet! I apologize (again). On with the horribly written chapter:**

**(Oh and Review? But only if you feel so inclined to!)**

* * *

_Let's skip the charades_

_You're seeing right through me anyway_

_Can we just speak plain?_

_We're playing for the same team_

_But I'm the one that's acting like I'm so strong_

_You're the one acting like nothing's wrong_

\- _Skip the Charades by Cold War Kids_

* * *

**Chapter Ten:**

* * *

_"__She's going through cardiac arrest. We'll have to do an intracardiac injection-give me the adrenaline-"_

_"__Stop. You don't have any medical experience-"_

_"__But I do have a Ph.D in Engineering, Information Technologies and a Masters in both Physics and Chemistry so give me the adrenaline or so help me-"_

_"__You better know what you're doing Stark or-"_

* * *

She decided she rather liked Death. It was peaceful for the most part and although she felt weak and weary, she also felt comfortable. Yes, she acknowledged it was a strange feeling but she welcomed such a sensation. She relished in the feeling. Loved the experience. Yet…that noise.

She found it irritating and rather distracting. The steady hum of something…or maybe it was a consistent beep or perhaps a simple ringing tone in the air. Whatever it was made Pippa on edge and she desperately tried to figure out what the noise was.

And so she found herself opening her eyes and blinking heavily against the rather fluorescent lighting. She shifted stiffly, waiting impatiently for her eyes to adjust so she could see her surroundings. And then, that's when it hit her. That's when it hit her full force. That's when it sunk into her brain.

She wasn't dead.

"Ah, Coulson you're awake. We were sure you were going to be out for a few more hours at least," a voice rung out as Pippa directed her eyes slowly towards the opening door, "Never mind that." A figure walked towards her, clipboard in hand as a nurse bustled in the room after her. Pippa was sure she had seen the figure somewhere before but her name didn't come to mind.

"Dr. Goodman," the woman offered with a rather forced smile, "I must say you gave us quite a scare: a nice stab in the scapula and a bruised rib or two. Fortunately no surgery but don't move that arm-it'll be quite nasty if you do."

Pippa didn't nod or give any confirmation she heard the lady, all she was trying to do was take in the world slowly. She felt rather weak and dizzy with all that was occurring around her. She watched as the nurse readjusted her rather stiff as a board pillow, adjusted the sling (which Pippa didn't notice until now) that securely kept her arm from movement, and glanced at the vitals on the EKG heart rate monitor that stood nearby her cot. Pippa tried to focus her mind but found it buzzing with thoughts and questions.

And then it hit her again.

The sense of time.

And her memories.

She tried to remain calm but she couldn't help the small waver in her voice, agent or not. She opened her mouth to speak, glancing warily at the doctor, "How long have I been out?"

Dr. Goodman didn't glance up from whatever she was scribbling on her clipboard as she gave a dismissive wave of her hand, "About two hours." With a small rumble of clearing her throat Dr. Goodman looked up and gave one of those strained smiles, "Now, we have to talk about your options-"

"Two hours?" Pippa said, rather alarmed as she tried to sit up-a mistake on her part. She slightly winced at the clear, sharp pain that erupted and had no choice but to lie back down. She didn't want to think about what had occurred in just two hours. Chaos was ensuing in her mind and she gave a small shudder.

"Yes, two hours." Dr. Goodman said simply as if it was natural. The woman then glanced at the nurse who was still fussing and fluttering around Pippa, "Marceline, can you give us a moment please? Make sure to close the door behind you."

Pippa watched as Marceline left the room quickly and a thin silence filled the room (with the occasional noise from the heart rate monitor). Pippa shifted uncomfortably as the doctor sat on the edge of her cot, clipboard still in her hands as she gave a sympathetic look towards Pippa. The young agent wondered if it was genuine or if the doctor had seen so many cases that she had learned to perfect such an expression over the years.

"Now, as I mentioned before, you have a couple of options that I think we should discuss. We could of course give you a dosage of Dilaudid, that would at least kill the pain for a time however I suggest a more…obvious route." Dr. Goodman said all of this in a rather matter of fact tone that made Pippa clench her teeth slightly.

The woman then set her clipboard on the small table next to the cot, "Mr. Rogers is conveniently Blood Type O and it would only take a small vial for the healing capabilities found in his-"

"No. Absolutely not." Pippa managed to get out, scowling at the older woman. Anger filled her, making her more awake-how could that even be an option? She was furious at the thought and for some reason, furious at herself. Perhaps because it was her fault that created this situation in the first place….if she had only been more careful…

Dr. Goodman pursed her lips, "I suggest that you reconsider. Due to the Super Soldier Serum, his healing abilities are quicker than the average human and you could potentially be back up on your feet with no pain in a few hours-"

Pippa fully clenched her teeth, "I refuse." She then looked at the look Dr. Goodman sent her way and then added, "And I'm not going to change my mind no matter what you're going to say." She declared this with a look of finality, staring at the doctor who looked like she still wanted to say something.

After a moment the older woman gave an exasperated sigh, "I can see you're stubborn. I'll get Marceline to get you some painkillers." With a disapproving look, Dr. Goodman left Pippa to her own devices. Pippa still couldn't believe that was even an option-did he even know he was an option? Why was it even an option? Why did he seem so set on-

"How are you feeling?" a voice quietly demanded, footsteps echoing in the room. A thick silence seemed to come in with her coworker as Pippa watched the figure out of the corner of her eye walk towards her rather flimsy cot. She was determined not to look at him-she was still fuming. Dragging a chair from the corner of the room, he placed it near her bedside with ease.

"Fury won't admit it but I think he's worried." He finally said as he sat down.

"How is everyone?" Pippa asked, ignoring Atticus' last comment. She glanced towards the door as it opened (much to her relief) and revealed Marceline. The nurse quickly placed down a tray on the table and issued a pill and a small glass of water to Pippa. With a quick smile she turned on her heel and left the room-the thick silence refilling the area.

Pippa took her medicine without compliant quickly and then turned her attention to her coworker who seemed to be hesitant. Waiting impatiently she took the last remaining sip of her water and then focused on the thin sheet that covered her frame-she focused on the color (was it white or a cream) and the small stiches on the top.

_ "__Authorization needed-they are currently on the aircraft runway." _A rather static voice declared in the silent room through the walkie-talkie that was gripped in Atticus' hand. He winced a bit and shifted in his seat uncomfortably as Pippa's mind worked out the situation. Sucking in the cool air she looked at him curiously.

"You need bed rest. I'll come back later." Atticus stated hurriedly, trying to excuse himself from the room but Pippa was determined to sort things out.

"Do they mean the group?" Pippa asked as she shifted her position to look at his retreating figure. He paused at the door clearly thinking carefully of what he should say. After a moment he nodded not saying anything.

Pippa did her best to sit up but found difficulty in the usually simple task as she gave a small grunt, "Then it's decided." Managing to finally slip off the cot and land on her two feet she then scanned the room for regular clothes (she decided she rather disliked hospital gowns) as she removed the numerous electrodes that were placed on her skin.

"What's decided?" Atticus asked, clearly confused as he quickly returned to her side. He tried to get her to lie back down but she swatted his hand away, as she reached for (what she assumed were) her clothes that were neatly folded at the end of her cot. She realized for a brief moment that they weren't the clothes she previously wore, instead they were what she considered clothes for comfort: over worn jeans that were faded in some spots, a loose gray cable cardigan and white canvas sneakers.

She wondered who had dug these out of her drawers back in her room but quickly dropped the thought as she stiffly made her way to the bathroom that adjoined the small medical room she currently occupied. Ignoring Atticus' pleas she shut the door and did her best to get changed as quickly as she could although she did have some trouble with the sweater (her arm which was in a secure sling, her shoulder had been comfortably bandaged thickly as well as her ribs). It wasn't until she had finally completed her task of getting dressed that she realized a small piece of paper flutter towards the ground.

Her breath hitched as she realized it wasn't just a simple piece of paper.

It was one of her trading cards.

It was the trading card she left on top of her dresser. The one she had been meaning to put back in its protective covering. With a small breath she picked it up, eyes widening slightly as she realized black marker danced across the card, just one word:

_Sorry. _

She finally managed to breathe normally again, her thumb running over the marker's ink before she tucked it securely in her jeans' pocket. Trying not explode with questions she instead turned her attention towards the mirror above the sink and flinched at the slight.

Somehow she managed to look like Death itself: sallow skin, dry cracked lips, dark golden brown tousled hair. Running a hand through her rather frazzled locks she then exited the room to see Atticus sitting on the cot. He seemed to Pippa like he was a mess-looking quite beside himself as he frowned at her, "Coulson wha-"

"I'm going with them." The agent stated as if it was obvious and perfectly normal. Atticus on the other hand looked like he was about to throw up, resembling a sea sick passenger on a rocky ship. She hummed, trying to block out his intelligible squeaks as she quickly donned on her gear that lied on the table beside the medic bed.

Finally, Atticus managed to form words, "Pippa you can't. You need bed rest-"

"I feel fine." Pippa lied as she tried to fight off a wave of pain. For some reason she felt rather drowsy but pushed away the feeling. It was probably the medicine. For brief moment silence filled the room once again as Pippa checked to make sure she had everything she needed. And then:

"But Fury kind of told them that-well…ah…"

Pippa angled herself just the tiniest amount so she could look at his nervous filled eyes. He shifted on the cot and then managed to spit it out-the words such a jumbled mess that Atticus had to try three more time before Pippa could understand:

"Fury told them you weren't going to be awake anytime soon-that you had fallen into a coma of some sort."

She seethed as she clipped her walkie-talkie to the waistband of her jeans as her mind reeled with fragments of thoughts. She was at a loss for words. What had compelled him to form a ludicrous tale-how did that benefit anyon-

Ah.

That was it.

A common cause. A rallying point. A union. A team. A goal. A purpose. A motivation.

It made sense now and she took a moment to relish in the feeling of admiration towards the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. He really was a sly man-too scheming for his own good. And quick. So much so that Pippa had difficulty keeping up with him sometimes. And for a moment she faltered. She hesitated herself. Surely if they were now a team due to her "death" her reappearance would be highly unwelcomed. It could perhaps destroy the link they all shared-the bond.

_"__Authorization not confirmed Send security.."_

The moment was over. Pippa glanced at the walkie-talkie on her waist that had just spoken. Her mind was made and if she didn't hurry she would lose the opportunity. She made her way stiffly towards the door, her knees threatening to lock as she walked somewhat crookedly. Atticus scampered after her, "Coulson, you can't be serious. You can't just join them."

"And why not?" She asked as she paused in the doorframe, trying to navigate where she was. She would have to hurry or she would miss her small window-her chance. Atticus seemed rather flabbergasted that she had even asked him and pursed his lips. Apparently he had lost his vocal chords for a moment which helped Pippa clear her head and decide what direction to go in. As she unstably made her way down the corridor a hand touched her shoulder making her almost gasp. The pain was still fresh to her and she tried to fight the echoes of pain that ran through her body. Instead, she focused her mind on looking at Atticus who quickly removed his hand with a rather mortified 'sorry'.

"You can't talk me out of this." Pippa told him seriously. She was stubborn which sometimes worked in her disadvantage-but nevertheless was a trait of hers. She watched him chew the inside of his cheek as if he was having some sort of battle inside of him. Then:

"Fine. But I coming with you."

_"__Copy that. Security is on its way."_

The determination in his eyes made Pippa realize she couldn't argue with him. Even though she wanted to. Atticus was a NASA scientist, not a fighter. But she couldn't argue. And she knew that. With a small nod she turned to hurry to the aircraft runway but she didn't miss the look of relief that Atticus had out of the corner of her eye.

They traveled in silence, occasionally stopping and pausing when they heard a stray voice. She knew that if anyone caught her out of bed she would be, simply put, in deep trouble. She was supposed to be resting, and as her body ached she realized she would love nothing more than to finally ease the exhaustion.

As she was able to make out the aircraft runway (although there was still a good amount of distance between) comfort filled her body-she knew that figure anywhere. Hurrying the best she could (and Atticus right behind her, occasionally looking over his shoulder) she made her way outside, not expecting the gust of wind that ran through her hair.

She marched her way over to the two of them, her head held high. As if he knew she was there, he turned to face her, his blue eyes filled with confusion and...anger. A rage blazed through his blue eyes as walked a few paces to meet her, "I thought you were supposed to be in a coma." She tried to ignore the fact that his eyes were scanning her face-then her shoulder-her arm in the sling-back to her face.

_"__He signed your trading card."_ A voice stated through her thoughts.

"Day is full of surprises." The brunette agent simply said as she brushed past him (wincing slightly at the pain) to board the Quinjet. But he wouldn't accept that. Striding after her he quickly blocked her path, a look of annoyance darting across her face.

"Fury said you were-"

"Obviously Fury still has some of his secrets."

She pivoted to see Stark standing there looking rather unsettled but not unpleased to see her. He was clad in his suit, the red and gold paint gleamed in the sun and for a moment Pippa tried to take it all in. She had never seen the suit up close and now that she was able to look closer she realized it really was a piece of genius.

Natasha climbed out of the Quinjet, crossing her arms as she noticed Pippa, "What's all the ruckus-Agent Coulson, you went through a lot in the last 24 hours. Removal from this environment would be-"

"Isn't it obvious?" Pippa asked, her eyes flickering to the once professional ballerina before she slipped past her (with some difficulty) and made her way into the inside of the Quinjet, "I'm coming with you." She glanced behind her shoulder just for a moment to meet disapproving blue eyes and then focused on the figure that stood near the Quinjet's navigation controls. Startled she only managed to stare silently.

_"__He almost killed you."_ The small voice continued to whisper through her thoughts, _"He didn't, but he could have."_

Her hands almost reached towards her throat-wanting to defend herself against him. But she fought to keep her hands where they were-glued to her sides. Instead:

"Barton."

She watched as he gave a small stiff nod as a greeting in return, "Coulson."

"And I'm coming along too!" Atticus said hurriedly. She could hear his footsteps as he shuffled on board.

A hand grasped her uninjured shoulder, "You can't come along. I won't allow it."

Another wave of irritation rippled through her veins, making her fume. She managed to turn and look at him in the eye, not noticing how close he was to her-not noticing the aftershave's scent that wafted in the small space between them. She then pursed her lips slightly and then broke out into a small strained smile (which looked like a grimace), "I'm coming. So I suggest that you sit down Captain Rogers and buckle up. Security is on its way and I'm sure we would all appreciate if we got off this runway before they came."

She watched as Stark popped his head in the Quinjet's entrance, clearly hearing everything that was going on. He looked rather amused but at the same time, tense. Pippa wondered where this serious side of Stark came from. That of course didn't mean she didn't appreciate it.

"Great." Tony enthused, "You heard what she said: Buckle up Capsicle."

* * *

**Note: I know it's poorly written-but be so kind and Review?**

Much love,

_The Painted Green Door_


	12. Trading Language

**Author's Note: I'm trying to redeem myself since the last chapter was the most horrible thing I've ever written in the history of this story (at least in my opinion).** So in order to redeem myself, I sat down today and wrote this. I apologize this chapter isn't much longer than the last one but I believe it needed to end where it ended.

I'd like to thank: **Nikki-Chaos**

**Theatre **

**SprinklesAreFun**

**MariMart**

**Guardian of Heaven**

**CrazyCountryGirl12**

**SLPLove**

**Destiny's Prophet**

and of course

**Lizzybug2000**

They are so extremely kind to me and supportive, and never fail to make my day. So thank you! **And of course, thank you from the bottom of my heart to all of you who reviewed, followed, favorited and just in general follow and love this story! It makes my day and makes me grin. **

I also apologize for those who were disappointed I didn't include Project T.A.H.I.T.I. but as I said before, I will be including it later. I believe it will play a critical part in the story.

**I also need to ask/address a couple of things: **

**1\. What are your thoughts if I went on to include Avengers: Age of Ultron? Yay or nay? **

**2\. Sequel to this story? Yay or nay? **I'm still debating whether I should entirely start a new story or if I should just continue posting chapters to 'Trading Cards'. One pro is that all those who have favorited/followed would have an easier time of keeping up with the new addition, but a con is that I don't want this story to have 800+ chapters. (I'm exaggerating, but still).

Also another sub question** (I guess 2a is: Would you guys stick around for a sequel or do you guys want to call it quits after this story?)**

**3\. One shot in another's Point Of View besides Pippa? Yay or nay? Any specific scenes you would want to see in another person's Point of View?**

**4\. Team Clint or Team Steve?**

Of course remember to be honest when you answer! Thank you!

I honestly can't believe we're up to the Battle of New York. **THAT MEANS THIS STORY IS ALMOST OVER!**

Just joking. Calm down. Even if I decide **not** to do a sequel, I am doing some Post Movie chapters for this story regardless. Or at least I plan to.

Alright, I think that basically settles it. **Can I be greedy and ask for 15+ Reviews?**

* * *

_We are the sleepers_

_We bite our tongues_

_We set the fire_

_And we let it burn_

_Through the dreamers_

_We hear the hum_

_They say, "Come on, come on, let's go."_

_So come on, come on, let's go._

\- _We Sink by Of Monsters And Men_

* * *

**Chapter Eleven:**

* * *

The steady hum of the Quinjet's engine was like a lullaby for the injured agent. She shifted uncomfortably, her back against the cool metal wall as she closed her eyes. The energy that had run through her veins only moments ago was now replaced with aches and pains. She grimaced slightly at the slight twinge that threaded itself through her shoulder. Opening her eyes she glanced at Natasha who had self-appointed herself as the pilot, and Atticus who somehow deemed himself the co-pilot. A strange relief filled her as she witnessed the two getting along fairly easily even though Natasha wasn't the most welcoming person towards the NASA scientist initially.

The air around her changed. The soft scent of aftershave wafted towards her nose and Pippa did her best to classify the smell. It smelled simple and…clean. She racked her mind, trying to figure out where such a scent came from.

"Pippa."

"Captain." She mouthed silently, avoiding his gaze. Or at least trying to. Somehow her eyes did their best to drift towards his face, but she adamantly glued her gaze on the figure that sat across from her. She watched as the marksman expertly held the recurve bow in a gentle but firm grip, fiddling with the four buttons that ran down the length of the bow's grip. The sight was almost hypnotic to her.

"You're staying out of this battle."

This caught her attention. She had no choice but to stare at him, to stare at his determined expression. She opened her mouth to argue, to tell him that there was no way she was going to simply sit in the Quinjet and watch everything play in front of her eyes but he spoke before she could utter any sound, "You aren't in any condition to fight. You'll stay with Atticus-"

"Atticus knows the cube like the back of his hand. He'll be with Tesseract." Pippa informed him with a tone of sourness appearing in her voice, "If you want me to be with him, then fine, I'll be with the Tesseract." She then regarded the man before her in a slightly gentler tone, "But I'm not sitting this one out."

Silence.

Then:

"At least stay out of trouble." He finally said, sounding rather resigned as he stood. The conversation was clearly at an end according to him but Pippa refused to play by his rules. She had been playing by his rules for as long as she could remember.

"Trouble finds me." She stated. She tried her best to sound upbeat given the current circumstances they were under, and the troubles that they would soon face but her words had no effect on him. No laughter or amusement was apparent in his eyes.

No response. He started to walk past her but she stopped him with her words:

"You signed my trading card."

She didn't know why she said it, why she blurted it out. She didn't know if it was meant to be a question or just another simple blunt statement. She just didn't know. It flew from her lips and into the air. She waited with baited breath (she didn't know why) as the air was once again filled with silence.

Then his voice rang out quietly but clearer than ever:

"You asked me to." He said plainly as if was explaining his answer to a small child. It wasn't patronizing but it was unexpected.

And for some unknown reason she could feel a small blush creep up the base of her neck and climb up towards her cheeks. The sensation seemed different this time. She of course was not foreign to the feeling of blush blooming on her cheeks-she was known infamously for how much she blushed, but somehow this felt different. A different kind. Not due to pure embarrassment but due to something….something else.

She could feel his blue eyes on her back as if they were daggers-as if he was trying to figure out something. As if he was trying to see through her.

And then the sound of him moving away from her reached her ears and she managed to finally breathe (she didn't realize she had been holding her breath). She craned her neck to watch his retreating figure stand behind Natasha's chair, overlooking the scene of clouds and blue sky that surrounded them. Her eyes drifted, looking at the figure that sat across from her.

And in turn, the expert bowman was looking at her.

"Oh God."

Atticus. Pippa did her best to hurry over to where a particular green looking Atticus was. Sweat seemed to appear on his brow as his eyes grew large, "We're too late. It already stared."

She followed his gaze to where a beam of bright fluorescent blue light ran through the sky. The Tesseract. She swallowed hard, her throat somehow running dry. A thick tense silence filled the interior of the Quinjet as Natasha fiddled with some dials, finally speaking into her headset calmly, "Stark, we're heading northeast."

"You might want to buckle up Coulson." A voice breathed in her ear. She did her best to portray a calm expression as Clint brushed past her and traded places with Atticus (who seemed rather clammy). If it wasn't such serious circumstances Pippa might have believed there was a slight teasing tone in his voice, but instead she dismissed any thoughts and returned to her seat without voicing any objections (dragging an Atticus in tow).

Doing her best to ignore the repetitive sounds of bullets that sounded from the machine gun that Natasha was currently in control of, she focused her attention on making sure Atticus was okay. Doing her best to calm him down with her own words she was pleased to see him looking a bit less green.

"See them." Natasha declared-her voice penetrating through Pippa's concentration on focusing on Atticus' well being.

A sudden jolt made Pippa realize that they weren't okay. The force that made her plastered against her seat made her realize that they were truly in trouble. She managed to see a glimpse of Natasha and Clint (both of them seeming rather calm about it all) before another jolt made her body be pasted against the cool metal of the Quinjet. A gasp sounded through her lips as she clutched her seat with her one hand-wishing at that moment that her other hand was uninjured.

And then she was pushed forward-her figure being restrained harshly by the many buckles and straps that made up her seatbelt harness. She closed her eyes, trying to remain calm through the process but found that she could not. Another abrupt jolt made her hiss slightly in pain, earning a mutter of profanity from her.

"Language." Steve shouted over the rattling of the Quinjet.

Mustering her best annoyed expression she focused on the fact that they were gradually slowing down. The thought filled her with relief although the smell of burnt asphalt reached her nose.

"Everyone okay?" Natasha said aloud (although she wasn't really asking about everyone's well being). Murmurs arose from the small group as they quickly collected their gear. With the ramp open the brunette agent was in great need of stable ground. Desperately trying to escape the complicated harness that enclosed her, her uninjured hand clawed somewhat, fidgeting with the one remaining buckle she had yet to undo. It seemed adamant on not letting her go.

An interfering pair of hands made her stop all movements. She watched as though transfixed as the archer who had once almost tried to kill her (though she supposed it wasn't really his fault since he was under Loki's control) now knelt next to her and effortlessly freed her.

"Alright?" he muttered under his breath as he gently helped her up, careful of not touching her wounds. Instead he placed a firm but not unbearably tight grip on the bend of her free un-slinged arm. She nodded soundlessly as she did her best to exit the Quinjet, ignoring the sharp pain that echoed throughout her bloodstream.

"We need to get back up there." Steve said as he looked towards Stark Tower which now had a couple missing letters from what was supposed to form 'STARK'. Pippa watched as he then met her gaze, making her quickly turn her attention to the scene before them: cars strewn generously along the street, thick smoke that burned her lungs, half torn buildings, straggling groups of people fleeing from the streets into buildings, and sirens that rang faintly through the summer air.

What she didn't see was the flickering glance Steve directed between her and Clint-after all, the expert archer was still grasping her arm securely.

A rumble shook the ground so suddenly that Pippa glanced around wildly; trying to detect what was going on. Surely they couldn't be having an earthquake. But then a low roar, or perhaps it was a groan, sounded throughout the city. She gazed upwards to see a massive creature floating through the sky, gradually lowering itself onto the buildings. It was so gigantic that it blocked the dull sun for a moment as it swam through the air. She tried to categorize the creature-somehow it swam like a fish but reminded her of a skeletal dinosaur…

A sharp tug on her cardigan made her look over to where Atticus was standing. He edged towards her closer, "We're wasting time. We have to get to Stark Tower like the Captain said. Come on."

Although she hated the idea of disappearing from the group she acknowledged he was right. Atticus needed to get to the Tesseract in order to shut it down. She wiggled out of Clint's grasp on her arm, grateful he hadn't noticed due to the fact that he was still staring at the large skeletal object and did her best to scamper through the streets with Atticus leading the way.

Pippa did her best to keep up with his pace but found great difficulty in doing so. Taking a small break she wheezed as she leaned against some rubble. Her ribs were sending sharp constant pains and her shoulder gave her great difficulty. Atticus looked at her worriedly but she waved him away, "Keep going. I'll hitch a ride somewhere. I'm sure Stark won't mind."

It must have been the expression on her face because instead of arguing he gave a short determined nod and hurried away. She watched his figure become smaller and less clear as he ran through the hazy smoke and the dilapidated buildings.

_"__I thought I told you to stay safe." _

Pippa winced as his voice rang loudly in her ear. She had totally forgotten about her earpiece. Debating whether she should ditch her earpiece or not, she finally decided not to. She could probably ignore him anyway. But then again, that probably wasn't the smartest choice.

"Relax Cap. Besides you told me to stay out of the trouble, not safe. And as of right now, I'm out of trouble." She responded as took a few steps before she sat on the ground, leaning against the remains of a rather destroyed building. She then carried on, "Stark, can you give me a lift to your humble abode?"

_"__Very funny. Where are you? I'll see if I can swing by." _Stark noted.

Pippa glanced around her surroundings trying to soak in any landmarks before her eyes landed on the rather battered street sign, "47th street-Fifth Avenue."

Pippa pressed her earpiece closer to her ear in order to hear Stark mutter something along the lines of, _"What are you doing in that area?"_

"Christmas shopping obviously." Pippa replied deadpanned as she looked towards the sky. She scanned, hoping to find a suit of red and gold any moment now. She could hear a small snort from Tony before she felt cool metal grab her elbow on her uninjured side and drag her upwards. If she hadn't been expecting it she would have screamed by now. The wind ran through her hair as she closed her eyes, trying not to look down.

"Having fun?" Tony asked, his voice simultaneously coming from her earpiece as well as through the suit. She gave a stiff nod (not finding energy to give a sarcastic answer) before he spoke again, "Thank you for choosing Stark Shuttle. Have a fantastic day."

Opening her eyes cautiously she watched as he neared the top of the penthouse of Stark Tower. Hovering over a few feet over the landing (slowing his speed only slightly) he let her go, making her land with a small roll. She yelped slightly at the feeling of her arm and shoulder having pressure. The sharp small rocks of gravel digging into her skin didn't help.

"I thought I killed you."

Pippa scampered unsteadily to her feet to see Loki brushing the dust off his green robes, clearly having fallen only moments ago just as she did. She shrugged, doing her best to buy herself some time, "Like I told the Captain, day is full of surprises."

The Norse God sneered, "I don't know-"

A green massive blur whipped past her and collided through the penthouse's windows, taking the Loki along with him. Pippa blinked once…twice….thrice before it registered what happened. She then smiled brightly to no one in particular as she called after him, "Surprise!"

A horrible screeching noise reached her ears and she stumbled as she turned, eyes widening as a creature made its way towards her-she realized it was one of the Chitauri. With a step backwards, she glanced quickly down at her gun holster-

_"__Hold on Pippa. Guns are practically useless against those things."_

Clint.

Doing her best to put distance between herself and the menacing creature, she gave a small smile, relieved to hear his voice. Not that she would ever admit it to anyone, including herself. Then:

_"__Dammit. I'm out of arrows."_

That made her freeze. She swallowed as her mouth ran dry once again, "What?"

_"__Pippa I need you to get out of-"_

A sharp quick hum of something ran through the air and then a body crumpled to the ground, landing near her feet. Gazing wildly around for the person (or creature) who had killed the alien-like monster, her eyes landed on a rather bent over Atticus who was clutching what looked like a rather advanced weapon. Hurrying over towards him as he collapsed, the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent instantly checked for injuries.

"Where does it hurt?" Pippa asked frantically but efficiently. He waved her hand away as he gasped. Annoyed she kept prodding, her eyes wilding roaming for any sight of blood.

Finally he managed to rasp:

"Too…many…flights...of...stairs."

_"__Pippa, have you figured out the Tesseract?"_

She clenched her jaw at Natasha's tone-somewhat accusatory and somewhat cold but nevertheless urgent. Wobbling slightly at the insistent pain that accompanied her she then gazed at the Tesseract which seemed to be held by a rather advanced looking contraption.

"I kind of ran into some trouble." Pippa stated wryly as she made her way slowly-painfully towards the glowing Cube.

_"__What the hell do you mean by 'trouble'?" _Rogers voice accused in her ear.

If she had more energy she might have rolled her eyes (even though she knew she couldn't be seen) or maybe might have pulled a face. But instead, as she staggered-each step supporting her weight less and less, she only managed to laugh very quietly (unheard by everyone). Swaying, her knees finally gave out as she crumpled towards the ground, not feeling the pain of the gravel this time. With a small intake of breath she managed to utter one word as her witty response:

"Language."

_"__Pippa?"_

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**Note: ****Thoughts? Comments? Sequel? Steve? Clint? Atticus? Questions? One Shots (what scene, what Point of View)? Did I redeem myself?**

Alright, I'm being greedy.** Goal: 15+ Reviews for a Goal Total: 127+ Reviews **

**As compensation I might send an excerpt of the next chapter to those who review. **(The excerpt might not be sent until the day before/of an update since life has been super busy, but I'll send an excerpt regardless)

Much love,

_The Painted Green Door_


	13. Trading Conversation

**Author's Note:** You guys are amazing. Thank you. I was greedy and you guys were ever so kind by not just reaching the goal, but also showing me kindness and very well thought out reviews that made me smile. I was over the moon.

I apologize ahead of team for the shortness of this chapter, again I feel like this is where the chapter needed to end and I didn't want to try and push it to be longer just because.

I hope everyone who was awesome and reviewed enjoyed the excerpt I sent them. I'm excited for this chapter because **I'm curious if anyone will switch sides when it comes to Team Steve &amp; Team Clint. **

**Same goal of 15 + Reviews. **

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_I am sorry for the trouble, I suppose_

_My blood runs red but my body feels so cold_

\- _Organs by Of Monsters and Men_

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**Chapter Twelve:**

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_"__Relax Rogers, she isn't dead yet."_

Natasha.

Pippa managed to open her eyes slightly, just in time to see the slim but muscular build of the spy tumble to the ground rather gracefully. Brushing herself off with a wave of her hand she glanced around, meeting Pippa's gaze. With a calculated look towards Pippa, she then turned her attention to the sound of a meek grunt.

And the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent was clear headed enough to realize it wasn't Atticus who made the noise. With a small grumble she managed to sit up, her sight somewhat distorted since the beam of light before her made her squint.

_"__I'd believe it more if it came from her own mouth."_

Mumbling to herself for a moment, Pippa then constructed her reply, "I'm fine. I'm just sunbathing on Stark's roof, that's all."

The sound of intelligible words were muffled by the whirling sound of the Tesseract's concentrated energy, as the twenty six year old managed to shift her position so she could catch a glimpse of who Natasha was talking to.

She couldn't conjure a memory where she was happier to see him, even if he looked rather horrible. It was clear that Doctor Selvig had been overworked: dark almost bruised like shadows under his eyes were apparent as was his rather uncombed hair. He even struck Pippa as being several pounds lighter.

"The scepter. The scepter. Loki's scepter." Erik Selvig muttered aloud as if he was in a trance. His eyes wildly scanned the area and a confused expression clouded his eyes. If Pippa had more time on her hands she would have spent it by trying to figure out what exactly he was confused about. It didn't occur to her that he was actually quite lost since the theory of time didn't matter under Loki's control. He shifted from foot to foot as if he was on the verge of figuring out an equation and was excited by such a prospect. "I-It's the key."

The scepter. Loki was here only moments ago. Surely he wouldn't be without his scepter. Wherever he went, his scepter went. It was his weapon-his defense.

"I see it!" Atticus shouted excited, eagerly. He had clearly recovered from his run of the many flights of stairs. Pippa followed his line of vision but couldn't see Loki's prize possession due to her current position. Natasha gave a small nod towards Atticus before she leaped of the balcony making Atticus' eyes pop out of his head slightly.

"She'll be fine." Dr. Selvig replied as he opened up his laptop and started typing furiously, slamming the keys every so often. As if Atticus suddenly remembered, he hurried over towards Pippa. With silent instruction he managed to get her back on her feet, offering his arm as a stable device where she put most of her weight. Quickly guiding her over to where Dr. Selvig was they both watched in slight fascination at the many complex codes that appeared on the computer screen.

"Got it."

All three of them turned to look at Natasha who looked rather relaxed and collected, as if leaping off balconies were a daily activity in her life. Which Pippa realized, was probably true to a certain extent since the woman embarked on countless missions.

Erik continued typing frantically, almost madly as he beckoned for both Natasha and the scepter to come over, "Any moment now…yes that's it. If you would-slowly into the force field."

Pippa watched with baited breath as the scepter slowly sailed past the circular force field. Any moment now Natasha would strike the Tesseract with the weapon, and then it would all be over. The thought comforted Pippa. She glanced at Atticus who looked rather bewildered, but captivated by it nevertheless.

But before the scepter even skimmed the surface of the Tesseract, Natasha moved it away as she shouted into her ear piece as the whirling noise became increasingly louder, "I can close it. Can anybody copy? I can shut the portal down!"

_"__Do it!"_ Rogers instantly replied.

_"__No, wait! I got a nuke coming in, it's going to blow in less than a minute." _Stark spoke, his voice vibrating in Pippa's ear, _"And I know just where to put it."_

He couldn't be serious…

Pippa instinctively clutched Atticus' arm tighter as she noticed the missile Stark must have been talking about. She watched in terror as it gained speed towards Stark Tower-heading straight towards them. Silently, Pippa found herself pleading-cheering the egotistical billionaire on to victory. She also found herself tempted to run inside the penthouse and down the stairwell. But she realized it was a ridiculous notion. If the missile did indeed hit the building then she would be wiped away like a bug against a windshield.

And then the weapon reared-skirting the building slightly as it suddenly changed directions. Upwards. Pippa saw a flash of gold and red, her heart thumping louder at the quick sight. Although she knew it was him and she knew that his plan was smart, it would include him entering the portal-

_"__Stark, you know that's a one way trip."_

Her heart plummeted. Steve Rogers was being logical of course, but there had to be a way that ensured Tony's return. There just had to be one. She hated the thought of losing a person on the team. Even if he was cocky ignorant genius-

"Come on Stark…" Natasha murmured aloud-saying what everyone was thinking. Pippa was brought back to reality as she realized he was gone. The missile and the suit. Gone. Nowhere to be seen. Instead, a rather thunderous looking patch of sky surrounded the opening the Tesseract had created. Reminding her somewhat of molten lava, dread started to fill her body, making her feel several pounds heavier. She leaned on Atticus completely, not even bothering to try to support herself with her own feet. The young scientist stumbled for a moment before he adjusted to the new weight, supporting her easily after a moment of readjustment.

She scanned the sky desperately hoping to see the flash of gold and red…they all did. Suddenly the sky turned more violent almost instantaneously. Pippa realized the missile must have exploded-a bright brilliant light was appearing in the portal. And then she realized: If they didn't close it-

_"__Close it."_ Rogers' voice ordered.

No hesitation on Natasha's part. A loud crack as if a firework had just been lit filled the air as Pippa kept her eyes on the portal-hoping, wishing that he would come flying through it any moment. She watched as the beam of light vanished into thin air as the opening in the sky shrunk exponentially. A thundering noise erupted from the clouds as they began to seal the-

The gold and red.

_"__Son of a gun."_

Relief filled her body as she felt her eyes roll back before darkness enclosed her-swallowing her wholly once more.

* * *

"Pippa."

"Pippa. Pippa. Pippa."

"Pippa, wake up!"

"Sister of Kate Middleton, wake up!"

"Pip!"

"Pippalina!"

"Philippa!"

"Phil!"

"Shut up, Stark. I'm not a boy." Pippa croaked out as she opened her eyes wearily. She blinked furiously a couple of times so her eyesight could adjust. Once his face became clear she then scowled (although it was probably a poor attempt since she felt like she had just been revived from Death itself).

He continued to peer down at her with a slightly owlish look on his face.

And then it dawned on her: Where were they? Why was Stark standing here? Why was he looking down at her? So many questions bubbled inside her head as she tried to glance around, but she found herself unable to.

"You're on a stretcher." Tony continued as if he was stating the obvious.

"Stretcher?" she asked dumbly. She couldn't help but repeat him.

He nodded vigorously, "You blacked out when I came back through the portal. Or at least that's what little Astronaut boy told Legolas who told me. I mean, I know my fall probably looked epic, but I didn't expect you to _swoon_. I never knew you felt that way towards m-"

She rolled her eyes, "Do you want me to punch you in the face?"

"We'll have to reschedule because," he brightened, looking quite weary himself but pleased, "I convinced the group to try this shawarma place that's about two blocks away. I was looking at Yelp reviews. Apparently this place is a fantastic little find because they have killer pitas-"

"Right," Pippa interrupted as she tried to let her head rest at a different angle on the rather itchy stretcher, "Well, tell me how it is later."

She watched as Tony looked around before leaning towards her ear whispering conspiratorially, "I was going to wheel you down to the shawarma place myself, but then the paramedics told me if I tried-"

"You ready Stark?"

Again, Pippa tried to lift her head from the stretcher but found she could not. She didn't know whether it was because she lacked the energy or if it was the straps of the stretcher restraining her. Instead, she had to wait until his face came into her field of vision.

After a moment his blue eyes finally met hers and for some reason she found herself unable to look away. She acknowledged that usually she was the one who broke eye contact, but instead, it was him this time who looked away. She assumed he was looking at Tony (who had disappeared from her limited sight) as he continued to speak, "Thor's getting restless. I'll be along in a moment. Got sent to see the paramedics for treatment."

"Alright, well I'll go check in with Shakespeare in the Park." Tony relented before his head popped back into her sight, "If this shawarma place does carry out I'll try to get you a nice pita."

With a nod of thanks from Pippa, Stark disappeared just as a group of paramedics swarmed the area. With some ease, Pippa's stretcher rose at a forty five degree angle, making it so she could truly see everything that was occurring around her. Some of the straps were peeled away with a loud noise of Velcro, allowing the brunette to finally move her head as she pleased.

"We won."

She turned her head sideways to see him leaning against the back of an ambulance. Silence filled in the gaps and spaces between them which allowed Pippa to analyze him: just like Stark, he looked tired but relieved, soot was smeared across a large surface area of his face, specks of dust from rubble covered his uniform, his usually neatly combed and parted hair was disheveled, sweat shone on his face, but as Pippa first noted, he looked relieved. Weary but relieved.

It became apparent that he was clearly waiting for her to say something. Or maybe he wasn't. Maybe he was content with the silence and wanted a small sliver of peace. He was hard to figure out sometimes.

Pippa shifted slightly, trying to angle herself better, "I'm pretty sure you destroyed half of the city."

A small tug upwards became visible at the one corner of his mouth.

A small smile.

Small, but there.

"Probably." He admitted as he glanced at her. Something she couldn't place, a foreign emotion, was in his eyes which baffled her. He then looked down towards the ground as if he was collecting his thoughts before he then spoke again, "I thought I told you to stay out of trouble."

"I thought I told you trouble finds me." She replied simply as she looked away, not wanting to talk to him if he was going to insist on the topic of conversation being about her actions.

Silence flooded the space once again much to her frustration. Why couldn't they have one normal conversation? And even though she asked that question to herself, she knew the answer. They weren't normal. He was the Super Soldier lost in Time and she…she was a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. They would never be completely normal.

Mulling this over, she gave a silent small sigh before she tuned back in with reality. For a moment she thought he had left her. Looking over at the place he had last occupied she was somewhat surprised he was still there. But he was.

"So, shawarma?" she phrased, arching an eyebrow as he glanced at her, another very small smile tugging the corners of his mouth. Almost undetectable to the untrained eye. But noticeable to her. Always noticeable.

He gave a small chuckle, "I don't really want to go, not really hungry, but I figured I should let Stark have his little moment of glory."

It struck Pippa that there was no hostility in his words towards the genius billionaire playboy philanthropist. Instead, respect was apparent in his eyes. Not love or admiration, just respect. And she supposed that was a good enough start-maybe the two could sort out their differences later.

"Anyway, I should join the others." He said finally with just a hint of reluctance as the paramedics fussed with Pippa and set her back down. She did her best to stretch her neck so she could keep the conversation going but a paramedic coaxed her to lie down.

"You know where to find me." Pippa said lightly as she witnessed Steve moving out of the way so she could be transported to the back of the ambulance.

Another small smile.

Almost invisible.

"Wait!" Pippa called as two paramedics slipped in beside her so they could monitor her vitals just in case something went wrong, an action that was totally unneeded since she was feeling fine. She felt worn out and in pain, but not on the verge of dying. Regardless of if he had heard her or not she continued, "I thought you got sent over for treatment?"

She tossed and turned, trying to loosen the restraints. Somewhat successful, she was able to lift her head in time to see him looking at her.

A pause. She almost wondered if he didn't hear her. She was about to rephrase her question but then he spoke:

"My side wound stopped bleeding a long time ago, Pippa. The Super Solider Serum does its job."

And with that he closed the doors of the ambulance crisply.

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Well guys, that wraps up the story! THE END. **(I'm only joking)**

**Note: Goal: 15+ Reviews (Total of 146+ Reviews)**

Thoughts? Steve? Clint? (Although he wasn't in this chapter at all, my apologies) Pippa? Tony? **Thoughts on interaction between any two characters? Do you think there will be conflict between any members? **

As stated in the last chapter: Those who review will be sent an excerpt of the next chapter. However please understand that I it may not be until the day before/of an update since life is very busy and I often mass write a chapter right before it is uploaded.

Much love,

_The Painted Green Door_


	14. Trading Visits

**Author's Note: Thank you guys as always for the wonderful support you shown me and _Trading Cards_!**

**I apologize for the very short responses to those of you that reviewed. I'm trying to upload this in record time before I must go and fly away. Don't think it's because I don't love you guys, because you guys are amazing! Can I also say a special thank you to the guest readers? You guys stun me, I don't know how you do it!**

I can happily say that this chapter is longer! And when I say longer I mean that it came to be just over seven pages instead of five. I'm slowly, hopefully, working my way back up to the good old days when my chapters were ten pages long. Sigh. They were the golden days.

**GOAL: Can I ask for a total of 160+ Reviews? **I've been trying to ignore it, but my small dash of OCD when it comes to increments of five is nagging me. I apologize. Thank you for putting up with me.

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**Also as a separate note: Project T.A.H.I.T.I. comes into this and I need to warn you guys that I have never watched Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. I wanted to, but never found the time to. If there are any errors involving that domain, please inform me! Thank you!**

**For the sake of this story I changed Rebecca Steven's death to the year 2011 since Avengers came out in 2012 and I read somewhere that the Marvel Movies occur in real time.**

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_Can we go on,_

_Like it once was?_

\- _Another Story by The Head and The Heart_

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**Chapter Thirteen:**

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"Sorry about the lack of decorations. By the time we had all signed the card, the scented stickers were mostly gone. It seems that Thor has found a new fascination." Pepper sighed as she glanced wistfully at the construction paper card that was in Pippa's lap, "I did the best I could to salvage the few he hadn't scratched and sniffed already."

Pippa smiled genuinely as she glanced at Pepper, doing her best to reassure her anxious friend, "I love it. I'm so happy you guys thought of me." As her eyes flickered back down to the several messages she managed to see out the corner of her eye Pepper's posture become more relaxed. Focusing at the messages scrawled on the inside she couldn't help as her mouth tugged upwards into another smile.

An abrupt sound was set off in the room which drew Pippa's focus away from the homemade card (which was clearly lovingly made) and to a grumbling Pepper. With a quick glance towards her cell phone the woman exhaled slowly as if she was trying to calm herself, "I guess I have to cut my visit short. The press have been going crazy-next time the group decides to destroy the city, tell me ahead of time so I can at least get a start on damage control."

"That bad?" Pippa asked, not bothering to mask the concern in her voice.

Her friend nodded as she stood as she collected her purse, "Something needs to be done to smooth over the situation-Stark Industries is being buried in bad publicity and it just can't afford that for much longer."

"I'm sure you'll think of something." Pippa said, trying to sound upbeat, "Besides, you're the best at what you do Virginia."

The compliment went unnoticed as Pepper tugged on her blouse, smoothing any invisible wrinkles as she bid Pippa goodbye, her head clearly buzzing with other thoughts. With a small sigh, Pippa sent a silent prayer for Pepper's sake before she let herself concentrate on the card in front of her.

She let her thumb gloss over each message. Bruce had written a simple rather cliché 'get well' message (not that it bothered Pippa in the slightest) while Thor had opted to write a rather large version of his signature, taking up a good chunk of the card. She found herself silently wondering if Thor knew what a Get Well card actually was…she chuckled slightly at the thought before moving on to Natasha's message. The agent was surprised to see that Natasha wrote a condensed, yet thoughtful sentence or two. Short but to the point. Her eyes drifted to a group of rather messy letters that were strung together to form words-

"There's the trooper."

She turned, her eyes darting towards the door. She couldn't help but smile softly at the familiar face. Her eyes then soaked in what he was holding.

"Barton, is that coffee?" she asked, not believing her eyes as she laid the Get Well card on the small table that stood beside her temporary bed.

He smiled wryly in return as he walked over to where her hospital bed was, handing her the rather tall coffee cup. She received it gingerly, glad for the cardboard sleeve that protected her from the heat of the drink. He then sat down in the seat that Pepper had only occupied only moments ago. Scooting it a little bit closer to her bedside he then watched her with an amused expression, "Don't act so surprised. S.H.I.E.L.D. is missing their coffee girl-even I'm missing her."

Pippa snorted slightly at his words, "Very funny."

He held up his hands in defense as he gave a small chuckle, "I'm being serious. I hope you can come back soon." He then looked somewhat sheepish as he glanced around the room, "Plus, I might have been deemed the coffee boy during your absence, and I might absolutely _hate_ it."

She laughed silently at the thought as she sipped her coffee cautiously, mentally preparing herself for a burnt tongue. Yet she discovered it seemed to be at the perfect temperature. Pleased, she took a rather long sip, sighing contently as the bitter taste overwhelmed her taste buds.

A sudden thought snuck into her brain. She cleared her throat as she looked at him expectantly, "I would have imagined you would have at least a couple days off from work."

Of course, the thought of Barton being back at S.H.I.E.L.D. so soon wasn't exactly surprising to her. She knew that being a part of S.H.I.E.L.D. came with some sacrifices: working overtime was part of the normal work day, spending Christmas or Thanksgiving at Headquarters wasn't unusual, not seeing her mother except every so often was considered a treat to her, not telling anyone outside of S.H.I.E.L.D. what she actually did was critical-as of now, her mother believed her daughter had a strenuous job on Wall Street, which was a smart cover for all the times Pippa had to miss the major holidays.

The bowman shook his head which let Pippa's daydream come to an end, "I am taking a break as soon as I tie up some loose ends. S.H.I.E.L.D.'s been in a slight mess. As soon as everything is under wraps, I'm taking a small vacation."

She possessed enough curiosity to want to ask him what he meant by a 'small vacation' but decided it wasn't her place to inquire. That would be delving into his personal life. And while she knew that he would be polite enough to answer if she asked him, she also knew that he treasured his privacy. He liked to keep things to himself, and if he felt like someone needed to know something, he told them.

So instead of asking what exactly he meant, she chose to take a different route, "How was that shawarma place? Stark told me he would try to get me a pita."

The thought of having real food instead of hospital food made her almost salivate at just the mere thought. Although she had only been in the hospital for three days, she already missed the meals that she had grown accustomed to. The thought of eating a meal that wasn't made from questionable sources seemed like some type of beautiful dream.

A short burst of laughter exploded from Barton's lips, surprising Pippa. But as soon as it flew through the air, it stopped. A wary look crossed his features before he carefully formed his response, "Stark did get you a pita, and he had every intention of sending it over with one of us but you know Thor…Captain found him eating it two o'clock in the morning two days ago."

For some reason it didn't surprise her-she knew Thor had a fondness for food (especially Pop Tarts according to Erik Selvig). Instead of the information angering her she found herself smiling at the thought. She found herself imagining the scene: Thor sneaking-or maybe not sneaking…more like lumbering perhaps…yes, lumbering towards the refrigerator in the dark…and then Steve's face…

Her spirits lowered considerably at the mention of him. She hadn't seen him since she was taken to the hospital right after the Battle of New York (that was what the papers were calling it apparently). That was three days ago-almost four. And not once had he come to visit her.

Not that she liked to admit it (in fact she hated herself for admitting it) but she was lonely. Regardless of Atticus' frequent short visits and Pepper's occasional visits (she managed to visit two times now), Pippa found being cooped up in a hospital a difficult transition from her normal lifestyle. And while she didn't expect Natasha to visit her or Dr. Banner for that matter, she hoped that another member of the team would.

Though, now that she thought about it she couldn't picture Thor coming even near a hospital. (According to Selvig he didn't do well in a hospital setting.) Tony's lack of visitation was understandable due to the large amount of publicity that seemed to be surrounding him. With that conclusion, it came down to two prospective visitors: Clint and Steve.

And Clint's appearance today, Pippa noted, made Steve the only prospective visitor left who hadn't visited her. And for some reason that hurt. And even more importantly, she hated that it hurt her for some reason. She hated the feeling.

This of course didn't mean that Pippa found Clint's company unsatisfactory. She was eager for a change in her hospital routine and was quite glad to see his face.

As if noticing a change in Pippa's mood the marksman changed the topic of conversation easily, almost expertly, "What's the doctor's diagnosis?"

Drawn out of her reverie she answered after she took another swig of her coffee, "He thinks I can be discharged by the end of the week but the sling has to stay on for an additional two to three weeks. Bed rest, no lifting, you know how it goes." Her mood then brightened considerably as she placed her coffee cup on the table beside her, "But he told me I should start moving it just a tiny bit to avoid any stiffness in the arm or shoulder, so that has to count for something, right?"

Just as she had finished speaking the door opened to admit Constance-the nurse who had been assigned to overlook Pippa's care. As she scuttled around the room to set up Pippa's painkillers she glanced at Clint with a pointed look, "I'm sorry but my patient needs her mid-morning nap. You can visit her after she's well rested."

"Constance, I'm not tired." Pippa tried to interject. She then added (hoping it would add to her argument), "Besides, he just got here."

The nurse opened her mouth but then pursed her lips as she issued Pippa her medicine with a glass of water. With another pointed look that was directed between the patient and visitor, she hurried out of the room. A small click of the door told both of them she had left them….for now.

Clint shifted in his seat, "I'll come back to visit if that's what you really want, but for now you should get some rest."

The twenty six year old watched as he got up somewhat stiffly (she suspected he was still sore from the events that took place only three days ago) and stuffed his hands into his jeans' pockets.

"If-when you visit again could you bring some of the files on my desk with you?" Pippa found herself asking. She didn't miss the skeptical look that darted across his face as she hurriedly added, "I just want to do some light reading. It'll help the time pass until Friday comes."

He let his weight shift from foot to foot as he spoke. "Pippa, you're on medical leave, you aren't supposed to be working. You're supposed to be focused on getting better."

"And I am getting better." She retorted. She then chewed on the inside of her cheek for a moment before adding, "Clint, please. I'm terribly bored being cooped up in here."

It didn't occur to her that it was the first time she ever addressed him by his first name. Instead, she searched his expression eagerly for any sign of him giving in. Eventually he gave a small sigh, "I'll see what I can do."

It wasn't a promise. It wasn't a vow. Not even an oath. But somehow that didn't discourage Pippa-somehow his words meant more than a promise. A strange thought, but nevertheless true. Somehow she knew that he meant what he said. Perhaps it was because he was a man of few words (or at least the Clint Barton she had come to know was). Or maybe it was just….something…something in his voice that told her so, but she knew that he said what he meant. And in turn, he meant what he said.

And in some peculiar sense, this comforted her.

She watched him leave in silence.

* * *

She didn't know who had the stronger emotions: Constance, who was in a cheerful mood since Pippa had slept until late afternoon or Pippa herself, who was not only mad she had slept that long (she couldn't even remember when she fell asleep) but frustrated as well since it turned out Barton had popped back in for a quick visit.

"You didn't miss anything." Constance chirped as she adjusted Pippa's sling, "He just dropped off some items that you apparently asked for, and then he was off."

This tidbit of information from the nurse made Pippa's mood worse. With Constance leaving to make her rounds (humming as she left), the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent was left to her own devices. The only thing that made her spirits lift a small amount was the fact that Clint had left behind a rather bulky backpack near the foot of her bed. Knowing better than to assume it was a change of clothes or Sudoku books, she scrambled to open it. The smell of printed paper hit her nose making her relax slightly as she carefully surveyed her surroundings to make sure no one was in the room.

After she was sure she was truly alone she picked at random one of the bulky file folders of the small collection that was stuffed in the backpack. Fluffing her thin pillow several times, and propping herself up against it the best should could, she opened the folder's contents.

"Pippa?"

She flinched.

While she realized that this wasn't the first time he had snuck in without her knowing, it didn't mean she was used to it. She glanced up to see him standing there at the foot of her bed, and while she would have usually classified his outfit as old fashioned-she found herself admiring his ensemble: khaki colored chinos, a simple white t-shirt and a brown leather jacket with epaulettes. Somehow she couldn't imagine him wearing anything else. It suited him.

Knowing she was staring for longer than she wanted to, she let her eyes drift towards the one window where a rather beautiful summer day was taking place. She bit her bottom lip as she tried to think of the best way to greet him. Finally she met his gaze once again:

"Did you break the door?"

A small sound of laughter danced from his lips and into the cold air conditioned room, "Not this time…I'd rather not break any more doors than I absolutely need to."

Yes, now that this whole mess involving Loki's conquest was over, they could finally joke about it. They could finally laugh and joke about the small things that were taken so seriously only a month ago. Or at least they could pretend to.

"That's a bit disappointing. I kind of wished you did." Pippa offered as her response. Her words floated lazily into the silence as his eyes flickered towards the open file folder that was currently bursting with sheets and scraps of paper.

He cleared his throat, "Did I come at a bad time?"

She shook her head as she did her best to shuffle the papers together before closing the folder, her hand planted on the top to ensure it truly was closed. To ensure none of its secrets escaped. With a small smile gracing her lips she stated, "Of course not. I was just going to do some light reading. You saved me from resorting to that."

He peered at her face as if he was trying to decode something before responding, sitting down in the unoccupied chair near her: "I clearly interrupted you."

Pippa opened her mouth to argue but he continued to speak, "We can read together."

He presented her a rather thick book that had been tucked under his arm. She was a bit confused since it was no means a small read-surely she should have noticed sooner. The title '21st Century: The Golden Digital Age' was embossed in bold letters across the cover. She found herself smiling as he settled-leaning back in his chair. Flipping to the page that had a small bend in the top corner he then started reading, clearly concentrating on the content that page held.

It was as if a silent agreement had been formed. Pippa turned her attention back to the thick file folder that was in her lap.

_Serial Number: SKJ 11H1772_

_Year: 2009_

_Participant: Rebecca Stevens _

_Status: Deceased_

_Summary: Became participant in 2009 after being diagnosed with cancer. When injected with GH. 325 participant's illness seemed to subside-most likely saving her life. When placed in observation participant portrayed an excellent recovery with healthy brain activity. Doctor J. Streiten suggested further observation which was approved. Participant then began to show signs of unusual behavior including the carving of what appeared to be ancient symbols. When under question about the carvings participant began to have a psychological break down. Break downs occurred on a daily basis. Signs suggested possible insanity. At the suggestion of Dr. Goodman, participant's memories were erased with the use of Memory Overwriting Machine. _

_Was given the identity of Janice Robbins. See attached for profile of Robbins, Janice. _

Rebecca Stevens.

The name sounded so familiar. With a trembling hand the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent flipped to the next page. A sickening feeling started to develop in her stomach as the picture stapled to the corner showed a woman who Pippa had frequently seen in the halls of the Triskelion a couple of years ago. She remembered the eager, ambitious look her fellow agent possessed.

She had never conversed with her (Pippa was quickly reassigned to Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S. which resulted in her relocating to the Mojave Desert) but she definitely recognized the woman in the picture. Feeling nauseous, she forced herself to read the short profile:

_Year: 2009_

_Name: Janice Robbins_

_Occupation: Art Teacher_

_Status: Deceased _

_Summary: Born in Iowa, Robbins was relocated to Rhinebeck, New York. Pursued profession of art and eventually taught art community classes. In 2011, Stevens was found dead in her apartment with ancient symbols (now classified as the Words of Creation) carved into her skin. Autopsy revealed Robbins most likely died from a combination of trauma and blood loss._

_For further information on the death of Janice Robbins, see profile of Derik, Sebastian. _

Not being able to handle any further reading, she closed the file as her thoughts consumed her. She shouldn't be so upset-she was supposed to be trained to handle the grim and gruesome. She was supposed to be strong. Yet the acidic feeling she had acquired as she read the file still ate away at her. This wasn't S.H.I.E.L.D.. This wasn't what it was supposed to be about. This wasn't what Pippa stood for or supported.

Morals were a dangerous thing. She had always realized they were. They could turn out to be the hiccup-the reason for the failure of a mission. And even though there were times Pippa was forced to leave her morals behind or tuck them away in the corner of her heart, she found that she couldn't do it this time. She couldn't find it in her to support Project T.A.H.I.T.I. and what it consisted of.

She had been hoping for years that the day would come where she would be assigned the head of a project, and when the opportunity finally presented itself she took it on with no complaints even though all she wanted at that moment was to be working with The Avengers.

Funny how she finally got what she thought she wanted, but in the end didn't want it after all.

Closing her eyes for a brief moment she tried to collect her thoughts. She would never forgive herself if she decided to continue her position of being the head of Project T.A.H.I.T.I.. It was that thought that drove Pippa to her resolve: She would be resigning from her position as head of Project T.A.H.I.T.I..

"Are you alright?"

She blinked as she felt herself come back to reality. She let her eyes flutter to his face which currently had concern pasted all over. He was leaning forward in his chair, the book still clutched in his grasp but his focus on Pippa. She smiled weakly at him hoping it was convincing enough.

"Never been better."

He studied her as if one would study a bug under a magnifying glass. She suddenly found herself self-conscious as his eyes bored into hers. Looking a bit skeptical, he turned back to his book.

* * *

_She struggled desperately._

_She screamed airily. _

_She clawed at the hands that encased her throat. She felt her air supply slowly ceasing which in turn created panic to arise. She wanted to cry out for help but knew that would take air to do so-something she had a limited amount of. _

_Instead, she focused on peeling away the fingers-just five- that held such a strong grip around her neck. She did her best to remove the hand but it was as if it was glued to her skin-unmovable. _

_A part of her was wondering why it was such a drawn out process. Why did she have to die slowly? Why couldn't it be a quick? It was if her killer wanted some grand final act before he pulled the plug-_

_"__I told you. I always enjoy a good show before the finale."_

_She screamed._

* * *

**Note: **Project T.A.H.I.T.I. finally came into the story a decent amount!

**Review with your comments, thoughts and/or questions! **

Much love,

_The Painted Green Door_


	15. Trading Observations

**Author's Note: **Hello? Is this on? _*Taps microphone*_

First of all I apologize for the very long delay. I kind of feel horrible because you guys wait so patiently. You guys are awesome and always continue to amaze me. So thank you! I'm also surprised but happy nonetheless of not only the in depth reviews, but also the PMs that you guys sent me! They were so incredibly sweet and you guys are really thinking about who Pippa should end up with, which is so awesome.

Secondly, I had a terrible case of writer's block and then I went on a small vacation-came back refreshed and ready to write, so I do apologize (again) if any of you guys hate me due to the lack of updates.

Anyway, you're all here for the story, so enjoy!

* * *

_Maybe I'm wrong_

_Or maybe I'm right_

_Maybe it's just too late but this is keeping me awake all night _

_Maybe say yes_

_Or maybe say no_

_Maybe I'm just too shy to admit that it is time to go_

_\- Big Bad World by Kodaline_

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen:**

* * *

_Do you want me to bring you a cup of coffee?_

"I'd rather not see him."

_Do you want me to bring you a cup of coffee?_

The nurse frowned, hands on her hips as she titled her head to an almost perfect forty five degree angle. Finally pursing her lips she then decided to speak but then thought better of it. Turning swiftly on her heel she left the room with a crisp shut of the door much to Pippa's relief.

Sighing softly the brunette let her head fall back on the rather flat thin pillow, staring up at the ceiling as sunshine ran through the open window and steam rose from the untouched breakfast tray. A sudden crashing noise made her flinch. Instinctively allowing her hands to shield her eyes, she then managed to peak just in time to see the door (which had obviously been opened wider than it was used to due to the dent in the wall) swing back to its original closed position.

Closing her eyes she tried to ignore the new presence in the room.

"Pippa!"

A nauseous feeling started to bubble in her stomach as she clutched the rather useless sheets of her bed. She squeezed her eyes shut to their fullest extent when his aftershave drifted to her nose. Oh how she wished she was anywhere but here.

_Do you want me to bring you a cup of coffee?_

"Stark." She managed to choke out through clenched teeth. Finally deciding to be an adult, she opened her eyes to face him. He was looking rather cheerful as he peered about the room, eyes flickering from one wall to the next-to this object and that. She grimaced as a sudden headache seemed to appear-Stark was always one for grand entrances.

"My favorite person." He chirped before continuing, "Pepper said you seemed rather sulky-"

She opened her mouth to argue but he continued, his words plowing through before she had a chance to speak, "Which is why I decided to grace you with my presence for a whole day."

A pause.

A drop of fear.

That was the last thing she wanted.

She shifted, drawing her sheets around her frame tighter as she spoke flatly, "I thought you had damage control to address. Pepper made it sound serious."

Tony winced but then seemed to ignore her comment with a quick rather strained smile-or had she imagined it? Nevertheless, his facial features seemed to quickly take on an upbeat expression, "Come on, let's go for a walk."

She was about to voice her dissent but then he quickly added (taking on a bribing tone):

"I'll even take you to that shawarma joint and buy you a pita."

Her stomach growled at the thought of real food much to her displeasure. Not matter how she spun it, he had won this round.

Dammit.

_Do you want me to bring you a cup of coffee?_

* * *

"You're not the only one who has nightmares."

Startled, she froze while she was in mid-step. Blinking, she glanced up to see him standing beside her-or maybe it was her who stood beside him. She had been so enwrapped in her own thoughts she didn't realize that he had stopped walking in order for her to catch up to him. She avoided his eyes, her own cast towards the ground as she continued to walk along the smooth paved path.

"Who said I had nightmares?" she finally asked coolly. She refused to look at him. Although the billionaire seemed egotistical most of the time, when he stepped off his high horse and finally decided to care about others he was rather startlingly observant. And that scared her.

"No one." He said, surprising her with his response, "But it looks like you haven't slept at all."

Oh.

_Do you want me to bring you a cup of coffee?_

She made herself focus on staring at the small group of geese that seemed to be swimming contently in Central Park's small pond. She would give him no sign that he was right-no satisfaction. His self-esteem was inflated as it was.

"Are you really going to blame him for something he can't even remember doing?" he finally asked-or perhaps it was a statement. Yes, a statement. His words were not a question-not encouraging her to answer back. It was just a thought said aloud.

She continued to stare at the geese-trying to count the ripples in the water that they created as they swam carefree, tried to count the feathers that they possessed, tried to count the water weeds that swayed in the pond-

_Do you want me to bring you a cup of coffee?_

"I saw him texting you this morning during breakfast. Said he was a bit worried since you were cooped up in the hospital." He said rather matter of factly.

A pause.

"Did you even respond?"

_Do you want me to bring you a cup of coffee?_

_No, I'm fine. Thanks._

Silence ran past them. She shifted her gaze towards the ground-counted the cracks in the concrete, the scuff marks on her shoes, the threads in her cardigan. She begged silently that he would drop the conversation. That he wouldn't be so observant. That he could mind his own business. Just this once.

"Does he know?" She murmured, mostly for her own ears-but deep down she knew she was curious. She thirsted for the truth: Did he know that he could have killed her? That he was on the verge of doing so?

Out of the corner of her eye she could see Tony shift his weight from foot to foot as if he was slightly uncomfortable (which somehow made her nervous), "He knows he did something."

_He knows he did something. _

She assumed he at least knew he did something but now that Tony had finally voiced it, it sent a shiver down her spine. Yes, Clint must have known something-after all she remembered she had froze when she boarded the Quinjet. She remembered the cold attitude she adopted towards him. What she wanted to know however, wasn't answered. What did he _exactly_ know? Did he ever remember snippets of what happened while he was under Loki's control?

But the topic was closed. Sealed. Done. And put away as the figure beside her cleared his own throat, "Are you going to judge him just because…you know he isn't like that."

"I know." The young agent replied finally, heavily.

_I don't know. _

She then wondered how he took this position. How it came to him. Since when did he become the listener? The mediator? The referee of all this? It puzzled her. She would have never imagined Stark becoming like this….as if he was truly serious. It was as if he was a different person. (If it had been a lighter topic of conversation she would have jokingly wondered if perhaps he had built a clone of himself and altered it so it would be the serious, responsible one of the two Starks. She honestly wouldn't put it past him.)

She wondered what changed.

What changed in him.

The battle.

That's what changed him.

They had all changed.

Even it was minuscule.

"You're right." She said aloud rather slowly, the words somewhat foreign on her tongue. She then glanced towards him to see that he looked rather smug.

"I'm always right." He said simply before he threw an arm lazily around her shoulders (a dull pain arising in her bandaged one) and continued along the path. She scowled at him as she did her best to removed his heavy weight from her.

Perhaps Stark hadn't changed at all.

* * *

He was back again. The kind that consisted of hands stuffed in his pockets, a slow leisurely pace, and a book secured under his arm.

Pippa had just settled down back into her rather lumpy cot with Constance clucking angrily about how while Mr. Stark may have charmed the right people to get permission for Pippa to be out in the world, he _certainly_ didn't charm her. Pippa, lost in her own thoughts, let the nurse rant about Mr. Stark's careless attitude and the unfairness of what a charming charismatic smile could do to the right people.

It was with Constance's exit that he entered. A simple smile was his greeting-not purposefully charming and charismatic like Tony's, but certainly charming in its own way. It was pure and simple. And good natured. And she liked that about him. He was good, simple and kind hearted.

She watched as his eyes danced across the pages of his book, and then _flick!_ A simple smooth motion with his right hand, and then he was reading the next page.

So far it had been silent and although she would have loved to know what was going on in the world, she didn't want to disrupt the peace. If this was his haven, she didn't want it to be destroyed.

So she twiddled her thumbs, stared at the walls and even tried to take a nap (she was sure Constance would have approved), but ultimately her thoughts consumed her. She mused silently, reflecting on her and Tony's outing. He _was _right of course. She had no right to judge Clint so harshly. It wasn't his fault.

It truly wasn't.

But she couldn't help the feeling of unease that crept through her veins when she remembered that moment in the Hellicarrier: the pure anger that was etched on his face, his own raw power when he shoved her against the wall-fingers clasped around her throat-her own airways dwindling.

She knew that wasn't really him. It was all of Loki's doing.

But she also realized that he was _capable _of doing such a thing….if he wanted to.

Another crisp turn of a page brought her out of her musings for a moment before she was drawn back to her small reverie with a new topic in mind consisting of the figure before her.

Steve Rogers. One moment he seemed likeable. Perhaps not exactly open or outgoing but she didn't mind that. His personality consisted of him tending to be more….she couldn't find the word to describe him. The word 'quieter' didn't exactly suit him, and 'softer' didn't fit. Pippa settled for the description that he was an enigma, a riddle, a code, a mystery.

She realized he had two different sides to him-like two sides of a coin. Different, but connected. Linked. In one moment, he was the leader-the one who rallied the troops together, created battle plans, made sure his plan went through even if there was a hiccup in the operation. That was the side she witnessed countless times. That was what she knew for the most part.

But there were other moments. Rare glimpses she managed to see-to find. Fragments of when she was sure she just saw him. The rawest, truest form. The human side. Perhaps even what could be called the vulnerable side.

The side he was currently showing her as he sat there and read.

She soaked in this side as if she was soaking up the sun's rays, because she knew the little glimpse would be over-the wall around him would be built and she would be back to seeing only his soldier-self. She knew it was coming at some point. She just didn't know when.

And this frustrated her. The fact that she still wasn't even an inch closer to knowing who he truly was infuriated her. It ate away at her.

It confused her.

Who was _he?_

Brooklyn boy. Science experiment. Soldier. Fighter. A man that belonged back in the 1940s. Someone she admired. Someone her father admired. Someone her grandfather had met for a mere moment. Someone who had his face on vintage trading cards. Someone who signed her one trading card with just one word: _Sorry_. Someone…someone who was lost in the twenty first century.

Captain America.

She watched as his forehead creased as he studied a diagram in his book which showed a picture of a rather bulky computer. She felt her lips curve upwards slightly, oh so slightly.

No. This wasn't Captain America.

This was Steve Rogers in his truest form.

* * *

On Friday as promised, Pippa was sent home with a detailed sheet of paper with care instructions printed upon it, Constance's constant reminders of safety ringing through her head and one Clint Barton clutching the backpack that he had left for her only a few days ago. Had it only been a few days since her decision of her resignation from Project T.A.H.I.T.I. ? It felt longer. Like weeks, or months. Perhaps years.

It was a strange feeling: standing on the few steps that led to her apartment. A foreign feeling. Opening the door with her key (which she fumbled with for a few seconds) she stepped in the small hallway that served as the little 'foyer' of her humble abode with Clint on her heels. She turned towards him suddenly self-conscious. No one had ever came in her apartment except from the occasional visit from a neighbor-after all she was careful not to make any close relationships with anyone really. But now Clint Barton stood in her apartment. And for some reason she felt nervous.

A foolish feeling when she thought about it, but nervous all the same.

She found herself grasping the backpack out of his own hands as she gave a rather weak smile, joking lightly, "Thanks for escorting me home."

"Of course."

Simple politeness. Minimum words. Nothing personal. Just enough to be pleasant.

The thick silence crackled. It fizzed. It burned.

"Call me if you need anything." He said, maintaining his polite tone (although he said it somewhat gruffly) before he turned and swept through the doorway-closing the door with a smart snap before she heard his muffled footsteps bound down the steps.

_"__Are you going to judge him just because…you know he isn't like that."_

And suddenly she found herself dropping the backpack on the floor and opening the door with trembling hands. Her eyes scanned the streets wildly before she spotted the figure clad in a simple maroon t-shirt and jeans a couple of yards down the street already.

"Clint!"

Nothing.

"Clint!"

She watched hopefully as his pace slowed and he turned with a rather bewildered expression on his face. Nevertheless he wandered back but didn't dare to climb the steps. Instead, he leaned against the thin metal railing at the bottom.

She swallowed.

"Do you want a cup of coffee?" She asked, her breath hitching.

_This was against everything she worked towards._

He blinked.

_Against everything that S.H.I.E.L.D. stood for._

She clasped her hands and unclasped them, not knowing what to do with them suddenly.

_Everything she stood for._

A pause.

She hoped he would say No. She hoped he would say Yes.

Pippa watched as his eyes flickered with some sort of emotion. The same inner battle. He was having the same inner battle like she was. The same mental fight. She realized that normal people wouldn't be having this problem, they would have said yes and simply come in the apartment. They would sit down and talk about the events that were occurring in their lives: how their cousin was getting married, how their coworker got a promotion at work, how their parents had decided to move down towards the beach.

But that didn't apply to them because they weren't normal. And they couldn't talk about their cousin's wedding, or their parents' new home.

"Yeah." He finally said, and then took a deep breath, rephrasing it with more confidence, "Yeah, that would be nice."

_Shatter. _

_The boundaries that they had carefully carved and set up, had carefully maintained, the walls that they had kept around themselves for everyone's safety, for the sake of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s regulations and the lifestyle that they led…._

_Those boundaries had finally been broken._

* * *

**Note: **Steve, Tony and Clint oh my!

**Thoughts, comments, questions? Show some love: Review?**

Much love,

_The Painted Green Door_


	16. Trading Boundaries

**Author's Note: WHOO! **Another chapter!

In all honesty, I sat down and wrote this with a nice humongous chunk of chocolate by my side (I can't believe I ate it all-too much chocolate) and _Wait by M83_ being my muse.

**Theory Note:** I listened to that song over and over again while I was writing/typing this. I just felt like the song was so beautiful instrumental wise, and this chapter has to do with dreams somewhat and life in general. More importantly, (sorry I'm ranting) I think the reason I loved this song while I was writing this chapter and the reason the chapter seemed to just fly on the page is because I think all the characters in this chapter (Pippa, Clint and Steve) are struggling with the essence of time. Whether because they're lost in time, or they can't find the right moment or place to voice their thoughts-time seems to be an issue.

Sorry about my little theory lesson there. It probably made no sense.

On another note, thank you all for the lovely support! It means the world to me!

**A Note of Concern:** I'm very excited about this chapter because I think there's just a lot going on in this, but at the same time I'm a bit scared. I hate when my characters aren't realistic and are OOC, so **if you could be so kind to let me know if the characters are realistic (Steve in particular, but Pippa and Clint as well), it would be very much appreciated! Thank you!**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter-I had fun writing it although it kind of pulled at my heartstrings because Clint is just so silently kind to her and Steve is just so adorable. I'm crossing my fingers, hoping that regardless of what team you're on, you'll be happy with this chapter.**

**GOAL: 10+ Reviews**

On with the story:

* * *

_Send your dreams where nobody hides_

_Give your tears to the tide_

_No time_

_No time_

_There's no end, _

_There is no goodbye_

_Disappear with the night_

_No time_

\- _Wait by M83_

* * *

**Chapter Fifteen:**

* * *

She let the counter in the cramped kitchen support her weight as she stared at the Keurig coffee maker. Smiling briefly at the thought of how she invested her money in the machine when she first arrived in the city, she then shook her head, the smile dropping off the edges of her lips. There was a time she thought she would come home from a late night at work and brew herself a cup-or wake up early in the morning and watch in silence as the Keurig machine whizzed.

Those expectations were of course before she spent late nights at the office. Before those late nights turned into early mornings at the office. Before she spent all of her time at work.

She glanced at the wall, silently hating the bleak shade of blue that stared back at her defiantly. If she spent more time at home she would have considered in investing in a can of paint. But that wasn't a worthwhile investment in the slightest. She hardly spent time in the kitchen. This place-this apartment was a place for her to sleep for a few hours before she reported back to S.H.I.E.L.D.. That was all. Nothing more. Nothing less. Easily replaceable if she ever needed to relocate.

Pippa turned her attention briefly towards the Keurig contraption before she busied herself around the tiny space, opening cabinets in search for two plain white coffee mugs. She mused silently, her one uninjured hand automatically going on auto pilot as she poured the freshly brewed steaming drink. The aroma hit her nose as she grasped the two coffee mugs tightly before moving cautiously through the living room (after all, balancing two rather bulky mugs in one hand was no easy task).

She froze at the sight.

There he stood, back turned towards her-observing the framed pictures that sat on the rather dusty mantelpiece. Her knuckles turned white as she found herself squeezing the life out of the handles of the two mugs.

She should have put them away before she asked him.

Better yet, she shouldn't have asked him if he wanted a cup of coffee in the first place.

She should have known better.

But he should have known better too.

They were both at fault.

Instead of cowering, she padded across the hardwood floor and towards him-joining him at his side.

"My grandfather." She said aloud in a hushed tone as she offered him a steaming, perspiring mug towards him. He took it with a small hum of thanks, much to her relief since she was sure she would have lost her grip on one of the mugs soon.

She supposed it didn't matter if she said it quietly or not. It was just her and him. But she did anyways. She whispered anyways because she felt like it was sacred ground.

Like she was baring her soul to him.

And in all honesty, she was.

Pippa studied the picture in the wooden frame, trying to remember the details in the picture. It had been so long since she looked at this picture, and the thick layer of dust only proved it.

There he was, her grandfather proudly in uniform and with a group of men from his regiment, a smile gracing his lips. And-

And.

There _he_ stood.

In the middle of the many cheering faces one solitary figure stood, lips drawn in a thin line, dust and debris smeared on his face, clothes singed from what she supposed were close calls that involved fire-or heat of some sort. He stood there humbly but with a grace that only he could possess. Eyes relieved and tired-but defiant. He looked the same. Startlingly unchanged. Even though it was a black and white photograph she knew it was the same blonde hair-neatly combed and parted as always. Blue eyes too. Blue eyes that made her feel like he knew everything. That he saw through her. Haunting as ever. Words like _'good'_ and _'simple'_ and _'kindhearted'_ was written all over his face.

_10._

"You have his eyes."

She glanced at Clint, startled. Forgetting that he was there.

His eyes flickered towards her face, "And smile. You have his smile." He paused, taking a sip of the strong black coffee before continuing, "That same kind smile."

She didn't know what to say.

She didn't know how to respond.

Or react.

So she sipped her strong tasting drink in silence, turning her attention back to the picture-surprised that Clint hadn't commented on the familiar face that was in the picture-the soldier that had been frozen and thrown into the twenty first century.

She stared at the picture.

The pair of blue eyes stared back.

_9\. _

* * *

She laid in bed, staring at the ceiling. Wondering. Mind wandering. Hands behind her head. Mind running. Thoughts consuming. Thoughts enwrapping her. Thoughts trapping her.

_"__You have his eyes."_

_"__And smile. You have his smile."_

_"__That same kind smile."_

After those few words spoken they had sipped their coffee in silence, staring at the pictures that were crowded on the mantelpiece. And then…then he had went on his way, thanking her politely for the coffee _(The coffee was brewed just right) _and saying a formal goodbye_ (I suppose I'll see you soon, Pippa)_.

Those boundaries that they had tirelessly extinguished and destroyed…they had been set back up in only mere minutes after they had been knocked down. And she wanted to hate him for that. It had taken her courage and she had to bare her soul-but she didn't hate him.

She couldn't bring herself to hate him.

Instead she respected him. She respected him immensely.

Because boundaries were safe.

And although he might not have shown how uncomfortable it was for him to be standing in her apartment staring at pictures of her personal life, he realized that _she_ was. Although he liked silence, it didn't mean he was out of touch with the world. In fact, he was perhaps even more observant that Stark.

And so he put distance in between the two of them.

For her sake.

Maybe for his sake as well.

But for some reason she had the weird peculiar feeling it was for her sake.

Because boundaries were safe.

And she loved them.

She depended on them.

And she realized that he was selfless.

And she hated that about him.

Pippa turned on her side, trying to get comfortable as the sounds of New York City pressed against her windows. She watched as cars' headlights ran across her barren walls for a second-for a minute-for an hour-maybe two, before she slipped out from under her bedsheets and got changed in the dark.

_8._

Stuffing her house key in her left jeans pocket (hints of autumn were sneaking in the weather forecast lately with cool summer nights) and tugging on a rather worn out t-shirt, she made her way barefoot down the stairs-the stairs creaking stiffly under the weight. Slipping on some sneakers, she opened the door-enjoying the fresh air that ran through her lungs. Adjusting her sling for a moment she then stepped out and securely shut the door behind her.

_7._

She set off on the streets of the New York at an easy pace, not having any idea where she was going. All she wanted was to stretch her legs. Breathe some city air. Perhaps then she would finally be content enough to go back to bed and sleep.

Being pushed along by the crowds, she wandered-slightly amazed at the ever changing New York City: New stores, new advertisements plastered against billboards, new signs, new smells…it was always different. She gazed around her as if she was soaking it all in for the first time in her life.

Or as if she only had a few days to live and she was trying to remember everything-every feeling, every sensation.

She continued her way down the streets, slipping through the crowd easily since she was one person instead of consisting as part of a group, and found herself standing in the heart of Times Square. She smiled to herself at the bright lights and the never ending stream of people that did as they pleased. Eyes widening, she slowed her pace, ultimately coming to a complete stop.

She was sure she saw…

Yes.

There he was.

Standing there as if he was waiting for her. As if he had been waiting for her all along. As if him being here, and she being here was part of some grand plan by the heavens.

As if it was meant to be.

_6._

Pippa watched as he edged closer to her, brushing past groups of people, having no difficulty as he weaved in and out of the empty spaces. She watched breathlessly as he stood in front of her, only a mere yard or so away.

She blinked to make sure it wasn't a hallucination. To make sure _he_ wasn't a hallucination

"What are you doing here?" he finally asked, eyes searching her own. Hands in his pockets, he then crossed his arms as if he was a disappointed parent. Which made her bristle at the thought. He had no right to act like one. He had no right to act disappointed in her.

Coming to her senses she responded smartly, "I could ask you the same thing."

That small smile again. His eyes flitted away from her face and towards the city's lights, "I've slept for seventy years, Pippa. I think I've had more than enough rest."

_5._

She noticed the slightly bitter tone in his voice, and it surprised her. But her stomach churned somewhat pleasantly. She was slowly uncovering his identity.

The crowd around them brushed past but Pippa stayed. And Steve stayed. They both stayed, both staring at each other. Both of their minds filled with questions. With thoughts. Her lips parted as she formed her next question, but he beat her to it by voicing his own thoughts, "Tony said Pepper has an idea of creating positive publicity, though he wouldn't go into any details. Says it's too early."

The common feeling arose again: She found herself nervous and awkward. She shifted from foot to foot, transferring her weight from side to side as if it was her favorite pastime, "Are you and Stark on good terms?"

She couldn't really picture the two being on the best of terms, but it would certainly be beneficial for all of them if the two superheroes got along. She hoped that someday they would truly set aside their differences though she assumed it was too soon for that kind of progress.

A thoughtful expression clouded his eyes, his eyes becoming distant for a moment as he evaluated the weight of her question, "Better terms."

Silence passed between them-trapped them. She swallowed with difficulty, her throat running suddenly dry as she gestured around her at Times Square, "Is it strange?"

He hesitated, eyes drifting to all the sights that were around them, "Different. It's different."

She nodded stiffly. She didn't know why.

"But I wouldn't say it's necessarily bad." He said after a while, turning to walk in the direction she was originally heading. Surprised, she followed him. She wanted to know what exactly what he meant.

"There's better medicine, better technology…" He told her as she walked beside him, both of them huddled somewhat closely as they tried to get through the infamous crowds.

"And the people?" she prompted. Again, she didn't know why. She didn't know what came over her to ask him, but she did.

He gave her a smile. A full gentle smile. And a small laugh that accompanied it. He looked towards the ground as if he was suddenly bashful. After a moment of thinking he then looked straight ahead, "The people…some of them are quite likeable."

_4._

Her breath hitched but she forced herself to ask the next question. She forced herself to focus, "What are you going to do now? Now that the world isn't in supernatural danger?"

She arched her eyebrow trying to think what his next move would be. Perhaps he would take a small break like Clint had once said. (She still didn't know what Clint exactly meant with that phrase.) But she could also picture him traveling-trying to learn the changes that took place while he was unconscious. But perhaps not. Perhaps he would stay with S.H.I.E.L.D. and try to settle into the twenty first century through working at S.H.I.E.L.D..

"I'm not sure." He admitted, coming to a stop. She stopped as well, refusing to take that as an answer.

The brunette cracked a smile as she looked at him, "You must have had a dream before the war broke out." She then encouraged him further, her voice becoming serious, "Want do you want in life, Steve?" The brunette asked this carefully-kindly. She knew she shouldn't push-he had limits, everybody did, but she wanted him to realize he had options. He had the freedom to do as he pleased now that the world was not in critical danger anymore.

She wanted her question answered: What would the Super Soldier choose to do?

_3._

She froze, her thoughts subsiding as well as the noise that surrounded them. It had just dawned on her that they were closer than she had originally suspected. Too close for two people who claimed they were 'just coworkers'.

She swallowed.

Too close for two people who claimed they were even 'just friends'.

She could feel his body heat radiate from him-it pierced her skin. She was aware of how her heart rammed against her chest, trying to break through. The sweat on the palms of her hands even though it was summer. He tilted his head as if he was really thinking-really evaluating what she had said.

Then his gaze landed on her-drew her in.

"I'm not sure what I want anymore, Pippa." He said rather softly, pausing as his eye flickered towards the ground, "I thought I did, but now…"

_2._

She closed her eyes at his words-trying to block out his suddenly soft voice and the hurt that was interlaced. Her heart tugged painfully and she tried to breathe normally. Her nails dug into the palm of her skin as she clenched her one free hand into a fist. Composing herself only slightly, she opened her eyes only to realize that somehow they were closer. A small soft gasp ran through her lips, but it went unnoticed by both parties. His blue eyes seemed transfixed on something.

On her.

She watched, mesmerized as they quickly flew down towards her lips, and then back to her eyes. An alien emotion was in his eyes, and somehow it made her heart ram against her chest at a quicker pace.

_1._

Was he going to…

Ever so slightly he tilted his head towards her-golden eyelashes fluttering as he looked at her-studied her. She found herself suddenly self-conscious: she was sure her cheeks burned, and she was suddenly tempted to run a hand through her tangled hair.

_0._

And then the moment was broken. Over. Destroyed. Extinguished. Terminated. Extinct.

He straightened his posture and put his hands in his pockets again. He didn't meet her eyes as he glanced towards the sky as if he was searching for rain clouds-as if he suddenly didn't want to look at her, "A lady like you shouldn't be walking these streets late at night. I'll walk you home."

She didn't argue.

They let several feet come in between them as they walked down the street.

* * *

**Note: Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Opinions?** Can I be _that_ person and annoying ask for **10+ Reviews?**

If you don't know what to put in your review, here are some questions that can jog your brain if you're stuck:

**1\. Thoughts on Clint? Do you think he purposefully put space between Pippa for her sake? Do you think Pippa is right to put distance between them or is she over reacting? Do you think their actions hurt their relationship?**

**2\. Do you think Steve almost kissed her? On that note, do you think he actually likes her or merely thinks she's somewhat strange and interesting? Do you think they're relationship will be strained now?**

**3\. Clint or Steve?**

I always love to hear from you guys, so never hesitate to leave a review or PM!

Much love,

_The Painted Green Door_


	17. Trading Apologies

**Author's Note:** A bit ironic, but like Sweet Sixteen birthdays, Chapter Sixteen is pretty epic for several reasons. One of them being the longest chapter I have ever written.

I apologize I haven't responded to any reviews, I promise I'll get to them tomorrow. I'm so tired-this chapter wiped the living daylights out of me. Phew.

Thank you as always for being amazing! 100 Followers and over 50 Favorites!? Wow! I can't believe it. Thank you!

* * *

**Note About The Song Used:** The song 'So It Goes' by Billy Joel is absolutely beautiful. It's been my goal to use this song in this story because I think it's fitting, whether it's fitting for Steve or Clint is debatable.

* * *

_I never meant to hurt you_

_It's just something I do_

_I guess it's not a good excuse_

\- _She Will Always Hate Me by James Blunt_

* * *

**Chapter Sixteen:**

* * *

The sound of her feet hitting the pavement was a comforting noise for her ears. It was a melodic sound. A pattern. A song to ease her. A sort of lullaby. Sweat threatened to drench her (in fact it already did) and her bones ached, but she was adamant on continuing-she had to keep going.

Usually going for a run along one of Central Park's paths made her relax and sort out her troubles, but so far it hadn't done much good. In fact, the more she tried to figure out the events in her life, the more confusing it became.

Especially when she heard _his _voice.

"Pippa?"

She knew attempting to out run him would be a useless effort due to the fact that he had the Super Soldier Serum in his veins. Not up for acting childish, she instead slowed her pace, easing herself into a walk as he appeared beside her. He looked calm and collected in his obviously new Under Amour attire. She glanced at his hair.

It was still combed neatly.

Allowing her gaze to fall only slightly so she could study his face, she realized that he wasn't even breaking a sweat while she…she probably looked like some horrid mess, especially since it was a particularly humid day.

Letting her eyes shift toward the ground, she focused on her breathing. Her heart thumped against her chest and for a moment she closed her eyes and stopped in her tracks. Taking a moment to regain her strength she blinked, revealing a determined looking Steve Rogers in front of her.

Oh how she wish she could out run him.

Or at least avoid him.

"I didn't know you ran in Central Park." She found herself saying. It wasn't much of a conversation starter. It was just a few words strung together to form a blunt statement. For some strange reason Pippa found herself readjusting her already secure ponytail as he looked at her for a moment.

"Can we talk?"

_No. _

"Sure." The brunette replied amicably (or at least as friendly as she could) as she placed her hands on her hips, slightly bending over so she could breathe better. She hadn't gone for a run to this extent in while, and she felt it. With a brief wave of her hand, she wiped away the sweat that collected on her forehead and straightened so she could see him. Face him.

To her surprise, Steve was avoiding her gaze as if he was suddenly uncomfortable, "I…I apologize for what I did a few of days ago. I shouldn't have tried to kiss you. It was ungentlemanly of me." He hesitated for only a mere millisecond before he added, "I should have asked you at the very least."

There he went again.

Steve Rogers.

Saying things that made her neck prickle and made her stomach flutter.

Saying things that made her heart race against her chest.

Saying things that made her eyes widen slightly.

Saying things he shouldn't be saying to her.

She noticed for the first time that some passing individuals were shooting curious looks over their way, and for some unknown reason she suddenly felt self-conscious. She watched from the corner of her eye as a group of young women, perhaps a bit younger than herself, stopped to goggle. Giggles ran through the air from the small trio of women, and while this distracted Pippa, it didn't make Steve's attention waver. His eyes were on her-penetrating as always.

The twenty six year old ran a hand through her hair, mussing it up even more as she glanced around her surroundings, "You know, don't worry about it. Um, I'll see you when I see you I guess. Enjoy your run."

As she darted past him in the opposite direction she was originally heading in, she mentally berated herself. Since when did she have trouble forming sentences? Since when did she struggle with words? Since when did she say 'um'?

Scolding herself mentally, she hurried her pace-almost sprinting. All she wanted was to be in the safe confines of her home. Urging her feet to move faster, she broke out into a full fledge sprint towards her apartment.

Her strength finally dwindled about two blocks from her destination, but she didn't mind. She took her time nearing her abode, enjoying the very little gusts of breeze that ran past her. In fact, she felt much better by the time she was a few yards away from her small home. Pippa could see the building from where she was, and the thought of taking a cold shower and changing into some fresh clothes was a comforting thought.

But then all of her thoughts subsided.

"Clint?"

She uttered his name in disbelief. And then went on a tirade of criticizing herself, because it couldn't possibly be him-the retreating figure on the street could be just a man out for a walk-she couldn't detect it was him just because of his back. That was a ridiculous notion and she had no idea where it came from.

But then the figure turned, looking slightly surprised.

And her stomach dropped.

Because it was him. And because she realized that if she had chosen not to open her mouth, she could have darted into her little haven, closed the door and finally let peace and quiet surround her.

But now she couldn't because there he was, walking towards the bottom of her steps and leaning against the railing. He had heard her and detected her.

And she hated that.

Walking stiffly over (maybe it was due to the fact that she didn't want him there, or maybe it was because she didn't stretch after her rather monumental run) she gave a small nod as her greeting. Perhaps it was a bit cold of her-a bit immature, but she didn't trust herself to speak to him.

And in all honesty, what would she have said?

There was nothing to say.

"I was just dropping off some of your stuff-they finally got around to inspecting the Hellicarrier and repairing it. All of your stuff that could be identified and located is in there." Clint said in a matter of factly tone. His gaze was on the rather bulky cardboard box, but she could feel his eyes on her as she walked slowly towards her door.

She inspected the container that sat on her doorstep (taking up much of the surface area) for a moment before turning towards him, "Thanks."

One word.

One small word.

Pippa realized it was rather pathetic of her.

Deciding that she should say something more she then added, "You didn't have to come. You could have mailed it...that is the usual procedure in S.H.I.E.L.D., unless they changed it recently."

The S.H.I.E.L.D. agent realized that perhaps her words didn't sound exactly friendly, but she didn't care. She still hated him. Respected him. But hated him nonetheless.

"I volunteered." He stated with no hesitation.

No shame.

No discomfort.

She grimaced, almost flinching at his words.

Yes, she hated him.

His voice interrupted her thoughts, "Can you come over by my place later?"

That startled her.

It was unexpected.

It surprised her.

She chewed on the inside of her cheeks, trying to assess the situation. He looked like the perfect picture of 'calm' but the way his Adam's apple bobbed made her know it was all an act. He was nervous. And somehow that shocked her-and made her uncomfortable. What made him so nervous? She mused this question for a moment before she came up with no answer.

"Why?" she finally drew out. She found herself leaning against the railing, arms crossed of her chest-an exact image of Clint's own body language. With that realization she let her arms drop to her sides. Her one arm gave a small dull ache, but she could bear the pain. It was better than being in the sling.

He shifted slightly, improving his posture as he stood at full height, abandoning the railing, "Because I need to show you something."

The words didn't make sense to her. And it would be an exaggeration if she said she was less then enthused to go to his place.

She refused to let history repeat itself.

She refused to bare her soul again.

"Please. I promise it's important." He added, noticing that she was staying silent.

Pippa pursed her lips, looking at him skeptically, "Scout's honor?"

She watched in bewilderment as he tossed up his head just a bit as he silently laughed. He then smiled-not just a small half smile, or a smile that looked like a grimace, but a full smile. Pippa realized how straight his white teeth were, and the crinkles near his eyes, and his tan skin as if it was kissed by the sun itself.

It was a strange scene to behold, and it no doubt perplexed her. She watched, somewhat wary and somewhat enthralled. She stared.

He held up his right hand, pledging, "Scout's honor. I _promise_."

His blue eyes surveyed her as she remained silent, the faded car horns running through the air as well as the noise bustling of people. She only continued to stare at him as he started to draw away, "Come over around seven-I'll text you my address."

She didn't tell him that she already knew his address-that she had a photographic memory and could easily scrounge the image of his file from her mind. Instead, she remained silent as he turned around and disappeared in the crowded street.

* * *

She let her fingers graze over the glossy plastic covering.

Mesmerized, she studied the fading colors, the small tears (which made her wince), the faded ink, the yellow tint of where it was originally white-she studied it all. It had been a while since she had such a luxury of studying these treasured artifacts.

"And to think I collected them all." She murmured to herself.

A second went by.

A minute.

Two minutes.

And then she glanced at her watch.

6:42.

Feathers ruffled, she quickly got up from the sunken couch and placed the pristine binder on the low coffee table before hurrying upstairs to change her clothes.

The trouble was that she had no idea what to wear.

It wasn't a work occasion-or at least he hadn't given her that impression. But at the same time it certainly wasn't a date. Her something jerk inside of her-a sort of sickening feeling that made her wonder if she should call him and cancel.

But then the feeling passed and she found herself getting ready. She brushed her dark golden brown hair, finding her locks acceptable even though it was still rather humid. So instead of messing with her tresses, she let them be. It wasn't everyday she had an opportunity to be so casual-work certainly wouldn't have allowed it.

Attire however, wasn't as easy. She suddenly felt as if she had no clothing whatsoever as she examined her closet. Sighing, she slipped into a dress-not exactly dressy but not full out casual either. As she peered into the mirror-her throat caught.

Pippa had worn this simple navy dress three years ago during Thanksgiving-one of the few times she was able to see her mother. It was a small affair-just her mother, herself, and some distant relation, but they had enjoyed dressing up just a little bit for the occasion.

She tugged at the hemline which came just above the knees, and then examined the ¾ sleeves. Was it really appropriate?

She had no other option unless she wanted to wear a bridesmaid dress that she was obligated to wear a couple years ago when a fellow S.H.I.E.L.D. agent had tied the knot. Shuddering at donning on an orange dress (which definitely wasn't her color) she slipped on some flats, grabbed her purse, and hurried out the door.

* * *

The smell of _something _reached her nose as she rang the doorbell. She glanced around somewhat nervously. Although she knew his address before he actually texted it to her, that didn't mean that she ever visited.

Therefore, she was surprised at where he lived: a rare quaint little area in New York City that seemed peaceful. It was a strange word to use 'peaceful' when describing the city, but it was.

The door abruptly opened and the aroma of something good hit her with full-fledged force. She tried to place what the exact scent was, but she couldn't. So instead, she focused on the fact that Clint was in the doorway looking in high spirits.

"Pippa, come in. Are you hungry?" he asked as she stepped into his home cautiously. She didn't exactly know what she was expecting, but it wasn't _this_. It was decorated warmly and homey-like something that could be found in a farmhouse. In fact, a small portrait no bigger than a sheet of paper hung on one of the walls in the kitchen, depicting a rather beautiful farmhouse. She studied it, admiring the colors of paint that were used.

And he noticed.

"That's my parents farm-or used to. A friend of theirs painting it back in the day." He commented as he busied himself around the kitchen. Sounds of something sizzling and something popping reached her ears. It sounded like a delicious melodic song. She turned, surprised at the fact that he was expertly chopping up some mushrooms.

"Was your cooking skills what you wanted to show me?" she asked, finally locating her voice. She frowned a bit at this, not because she wasn't surprised at his skills (because she still was a bit flabbergasted at the fact of his culinary skills) but because it didn't seem like a good enough reason for her to be here.

Although his back was towards her as he tossed the mushrooms in the sizzling pan (which was drizzled with oil beforehand), she could hear the humor laced in his voice, "Not quite."

She wanted him to speak more-to tell her why she was here, but instead he just hummed some tune.

* * *

Dinner itself was a very quiet affair. It consisted of the conversation topic revolving with mutual S.H.I.E.L.D. agents they knew, and other things such as the addition that was recently added to the training room.

But then he surprised her.

Again.

Stomachs full of a delicious home cooked meal, (though Pippa still couldn't wrap her mind around it-she was skeptical that he actually cooked it, though he laughed when she voiced such concerns) he then politely guided her to the living room.

Her eyes were instantly glued to the mantelpiece.

It was nearly identical to hers except these were pictures of _his_ life-of his family.

"Come on." Clint encouraged quietly. Gently. She had to be escorted by him-his hand on her shoulder as he pushed her towards the little display.

It was only a small collection of pictures-three in total-but it was something. It was a piece of his soul that he was baring towards her. And she loved him for it. And she hated him for it. And she respected him for it.

"My parents." He spoke patiently, tapping on the wooden frame that stood all the way to the left. Two figures were smiling and suddenly it clicked. She realized that he got his eyes from his mother but his smile from his father-his height was a mixture of the two, but ultimately leaning towards the father's own stature. Clint's hair color was-

Wait.

She racked her mind, trying to remember if his file had stated anything about his parents. She was sure something about them was in his file.

And then it dawned on her.

She remembered the big bold letters that were printed on the summary of his file.

Deceased.

They were gone.

She tried to swallow but couldn't.

If Clint noticed how she felt-what she felt, he didn't comment. Instead he continued, "That's my brother, Barney. What a troublemaker. Older than me but not as good looking as me, right?"

He looked over at her for confirmation but all she could do was nod. She looked at happy little child that was grinning wildly for the camera lens. Barney. The name didn't sound familiar. In fact, she didn't even know that he had a brother, and an older one at that. She wondered if…if he was alive, and if Clint and him were on speaking terms. Pippa tried to imagine the two brothers goofing off and getting in trouble when they were younger-but for some reason she couldn't.

"And that's me."

No smile.

He wasn't smiling, just staring-clutching the straps of his book bag. If he had smiled-if he had grinned like his older brother Barney, Pippa might have found herself smiling-chuckling maybe at the younger version of Clint.

But she didn't.

Because he looked sad.

"First day of school." He supplied, "That was taken a couple weeks after my parents died."

Pippa could only close her eyes in response.

Clint.

Poor Clint.

"It's been a long time, Pippa." The bowman spoke quietly, softly-as if he was telling a small child a bedtime story, "I miss them of course but…I've managed to survive all these years, haven't I?"

Yes. He managed to survive.

Perhaps he was better at surviving than anyone else.

Everything made sense now-everything fell into place. The thing that he had to show her. This was it. This was _him_. Just like how Pippa managed to see Steve in his truest form in the hospital, this was Clint's truest form.

And Pippa-Pippa Coulson who never liked to cry in public (or cry in general) or show any raw emotions-who worked constantly to maintain a cool façade-who tried to be collected and professional at all times-at all costs…

Pippa Coulson suddenly found desire in sitting down and just crying.

"Are you going to Stark's little party function?" the fellow agent that stood beside her-her coworker asked. He was trying to pretend he wasn't noticing the sudden slouch of Pippa's posture, or the way she bit her bottom lip to keep in the sadness.

He was too good.

And suddenly she realized why she hated him.

It was because he was too good.

She forced herself to speak, though finding words was like pulling teeth, "What is Stark up to now?"

He raised his eyebrows in disbelief, smiling a little for her own sake, "You mean you haven't gotten your invitation yet?" he paused as she shook her head in the negative, "Well, I'm sure it'll arrive any day then."

His eyes flew to one of the picture frames-his parents, "He's throwing a Battle of New York Heroes Gala-though I suppose Pepper is the one behind it all. I'm sure it'll cause some good publicity."

"Galas aren't exactly my thing." She found herself saying-though she didn't give her mouth permission to say that out loud-it just did. Regardless, it was true. Galas weren't her thing. Or any social setting actually. She glanced at him waiting for his response.

He turned slightly to face her, a smirk on his lips-a smirk. A weird emotion on him. But it was there.

He kept surprising her.

"Is it because you can't dance?" he asked, snickering childishly somewhat. It was in all good fun but Pippa whacked his arm in retaliation as she lectured him that she could dance perfectly fine-that she did not have two left feet, and that she could perfectly dance just like everyone and not like some awkward penguin.

"Then prove it." He finally interjected after she had been lecturing him for a couple of minutes.

She pursed her lips as she crossed her arms. Eyes narrowed she then turned her nose slightly upward, "Don't be ridiculous, Clint Barton. I'm not dancing."

His boyish smile widened, "I'm sure if I tell Stark you have two left feet he'll be more than happy to give you some dance lessons."

She groaned, closing her eyes and rubbing her temples. That was the last thing she wanted. Spending time with Tony and being forced to practice moves like 'The Sprinkler' wasn't exactly the most ideal thing.

"Fine." She grit out between clenched teeth. She then tossed her hair behind her shoulder, trying to keep some pride, "Fine."

It was all rather foolish: they both moved the roughly finished coffee table to one side of the room, and then pushed the couch a feet or so which resulted in enough room for them to dance about as they pleased. Clint then turned on the radio and fiddled with it for a moment before turning towards her. The music was pure static for a moment before the song rang out in their man made open space, the piano chords somewhat solemn.

_In every heart there is a room,_

_A sanctuary safe and strong_

"Clint, this is slow music." She noted, realizing that when he meant dance she didn't know he meant slow dancing. In fact, she didn't know exactly how to slow dance-she never had a partner. Her father wasn't a presence in her life, and she had no siblings to goof around with-no occasion arose for her to slow dance.

But here it was: slow music ringing.

_To heal the wounds of lovers past_

_Until a new one comes along_

"Come on." He said, offering his hand out towards her-not in a cheesy, overly romantic manner but in a genuine, kind manner-and perhaps that's why she scoffed.

Looking towards him with disbelief she shook her head, "You don't dance."

She walked towards him and took his outstretched hand anyway. If he was offering she might as well take it. One hand in his, and the other on his shoulder she tried to ignore the burning feeling that was on her waist-his hand.

_I spoke to you in cautious tones_

_You answered me with no pretense_

"Well, I was actually voted Homecoming King." Barton admitted a bit proudly.

She studied him, studied his features for a few seconds before whacking his arm with her one hand that was originally placed on his shoulder, "You're lying."

He laughed, "Alright, you caught me."

They both chuckled softly for a moment before lapsing into silence. The music played on:

_You answered me with no pretense_

_And still I feel I said too much_

_My silence is my self defense _

Pippa clumsily followed his lead, murmuring apologies that were excused by him easily. It was an odd feeling, gliding across the room. She had to admit that he was rather a good dancer.

A thick silence set between them, and so all Pippa could do was stare at his chest for she had the feeling that if she looked up and met his eyes, she wouldn't be able to look away.

_And every time I've held a rose_

_It seems I've only felt the thorns_

_And so it goes, and so it goes_

_And so will you soon I suppose_

She closed her eyes, allowing herself to trust him-after all it was his job to lead. She focused on the music-the chords of the piano made it sound like a hymn….a sad mournful hymn. Aftershave invaded her senses and she leaned in without knowing it-wanting to inhale the scent of-of something.

She tried to figure out what it was.

_But if my silence made you leave_

_Then that would be my worst mistake_

It smelled somewhat homey. And safe.

Like wood and loving homemade meals.

A scent only he could ever possess.

_So I will share this room with you_

_And you can have this heart to break_

"Pippa."

She opened her eyes, meeting his and her breath hitched. They had stopped dancing and now here they were-their truest, rawest forms.

_And this is why my eyes are closed_

_It's just as well for all I've seen_

She had difficulty breathing.

Warm heat radiated-and she took note of how close they were.

"Pippa, I…"

She involuntary shut her eyes, not wanting to hear. Not wanting to listen. She didn't know what she wanted. She wanted to-to-

She froze.

The brunette froze as she realized that his lips were brushing against hers.

He was _kissing _her.

The softest, gentlest sensation.

Hardly a kiss.

Hardly there.

But it was.

_And so it goes, and so it goes_

_And you're the only one who knows_

She found the will to step back-she found her legs and made them move. Eyes fluttering she let out a small undetectable gasp.

He kissed her.

She felt sick.

Pippa took another step back, stumbling as she felt her cheeks go aflame. This was all a mistake. A horrible mistake. She shouldn't have come. She shouldn't have stayed. She should have stayed away.

Clint was standing there, looking rather ashamed as he tried to take a step towards her, "Pippa, I'm sorry I-"

"I need to go." She stuttered. Ignoring everything-tuning out the noises-blocking out the delicious aroma that still wafted in the apartment-she hurried. She had to get out of here before she suffocated.

Flinging the door open she tore down the street.

_So I would choose to be with you_

_That's if the choice were mine to make_

_But you can make decisions too_

_And you can have this heart to break_

* * *

_And so it goes, and so it goes_

_And you're the only one who knows_

* * *

**Note:** I'm utterly exhausted. **Since this chapter was 13 pages long, can I ask for 13 Reviews (Total of 185 Reviews). ** (That's an increment of five!)

Much love,

_The Exhausted Painted Green Door_


	18. Trading Surprises

**Important Note At End.**

* * *

**Second Note:** I just wanted to take the time to thank not only the member reviews, but also the guest reviews. I'd also like to discuss one review in particular because I am concerned if any of you also feel this way:

Guest: what was the point of the interaction with Steve? seemed really unnecessary. and she was really rude to him.

First of all, I apologize if you any of you dear readers think Steve being in the last chapter was pointless. I do my best to make every interaction count. There are a couple of reasons I included Steve in the last chapter: 1. In Captain America: Winter Soldier the opening scene is him running and out lapping the Falcon. I thought him developing the habit of running in Central Park would kind of suit him. 2. I may have the wrong perception but I think that since Steve originally belongs in the 1940s, he does possess chivalry and is very much a gentleman. I perceive him as the kind of person who would want to address his mistakes (especially to Pippa)and apologize for his actions if he believes he is in the wrong.

Again, I apologize if you found his appearance unnecessary. As for the rudeness of Pippa, I don't think she did it intentionally-I think she's between a rock and hard place right now. I think her being a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent has taught her to be distant, so putting some distance between Steve and herself was only natural for her.

I hope that addresses any concerns!

Much love,

PG

* * *

_People keep talking_

_But I can't hear a word they say_

_Life just keeps moving_

_The world gets stranger everyday_

_"__Time is on your side"_

_That's what people tell you_

\- _After the Fall by Kodaline_

* * *

**Chapter Sixteen:**

* * *

"Smile!"

A sharp clear snap sounded as the flash of the camera flickered for a mere second. Blinking at the sudden harsh light, Pippa then stepped away from the figure who seemed content on snapping even more photos.

"Did you get my right side? That's my good side." Tony stated as he went over to the reporter to inspect the pictures that were taken. Scoffing slightly she excused herself from the two gentlemen (not that they noticed) and made a beeline to some unknown destination. As long as it was away from cameras and one particular annoying Stark, she would be fine.

"Pippa, it's so good to see you!"

She turned at the sound of the familiar voice-relief filling her body as she saw a rather cheery but strained looking Pepper. Pippa offered her an encouraging smile as Pepper continued to talk lightly, "Tony said you might pop in."

The comment made Pippa wince slightly as she tried to inject the truth, "I think the more appropriate term is that he _bullied_ me but-"

The words died on her lips as she watched her friend give a vexed cry of frustration. Hand flying to her securely placed earpiece she then gave an apologetic frown, "I'm sorry Pippa-someone knocked red wine all over the brand new Persian rug. Enjoy the party-and make sure to smile if the press decides to take your picture."

"Already happened." Pippa muttered to herself as she thought back to the fury of pictures that were taken all because Tony had shouted her name when she first entered the room.

Pepper bustled away, her feathers clearly ruffled by the thought of a stain on the carpet. Back to chewing on the inside of her cheek, she wandered to the bar which was clearly one of the less popular destinations. Deciding to not order a drink (after all, she liked to be alert at all times just in case) she leaned against the counter as she assessed the scene before her:

No chairs could be found in the room; instead little groups of small couches could be located in the corners along with low coffee tables made out of glass. Following the same theme, glass cocktail tables were decked along the perimeter of the room with groups of twos and threes crowding around them. The center of the room, Pippa realized, was designated as the dance floor.

She snorted rather unladylike as she made a mental note to stay away from that area at all costs.

_I haven't even heard from him. It's been about a week or so. _

Stomach growling meekly, she abandoned her thoughts as her eyes landed on a rather elongated buffet style surface that was decked with a variety of food including artisan cheeses, sparkling champagne and what looked suspiciously like mini pitas (no doubt inspired by Stark's love of shawarma). She shook her head at the thought, smiling briefly before she decided to scrutinize the group of musicians that were currently on the makeshift stage in the front of the room. As of now, they were playing a repetitive jazz rhythm, but she didn't mind.

"Pippa?"

Tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear she angled her body only slightly as she saw a rather eager looking Atticus scurrying over. He smiled, his white teeth flashing brilliantly for a moment before he spoke, "You look absolutely beautiful."

The fact that he himself was looking rather presentable in his tuxedo went unnoticed by her as a self-conscious feeling arose in her stomach. She managed to get out a rather stiff 'thank you' as the back of her neck prickled. She was never the best at accepting compliments from other people-maybe it was because she hated the sudden attention, or maybe it was because she felt like most compliments were forced.

Besides, what she was wearing wasn't exactly show stopping gorgeous; in fact it was rather plain due to the fact that she had no idea what to wear. While the invitation contained the detail that it was a black tie event and tuxedoes were required, it didn't help Pippa at all since she wasn't of the male gender. And so, left without a clue of how to dress for Stark's function, she decided to take her chances and wear a black taffeta tea length dress with lightly beaded cap sleeves. It was a classic kind of cocktail dress that gave off a 1940's kind of vibe. Quirky. Different. But as a person who treasured vintage things, it suited her.

She even went so far as to style her usually straight hair into soft finger waves to complete the look.

_"__I don't look totally ridiculous, do I?"_ She asked herself.

Pushing her thoughts out of her mind she did her best to pay attention to Atticus' words (for he was already deep in conversation):

"…of course what to do with the Tesseract was the main issue-though I suppose I shouldn't be talking about that _here_." He said with a small nervous laugh as he glanced around the room before continuing, "But then Dr. Banner suggested that it should go with Thor since after all it originally-"

"Praxton, I hope you aren't spilling classified information."

She watched as Atticus' complexion went ever so slightly pale, "Of course not Director. If you would excuse me, it looks like the band is about to play and I promised Natasha a dance."

Pippa watched him scamper off before turning around to see Fury casually leaning against the counter of the bar himself. He offered a small nod as his greeting before studying his surroundings.

To say that Pippa was surprised at his sudden presence would be an understatement. In fact, she was quite confused as to why he was here-after all, he never did particularly warm up to Stark. And as much as Pippa hated to admit it, he did kind of looked out of place in his leather trench coat.

She decided to voice her thoughts, mustering up some courage to address him, "I'm surprised that you're here of all places."

He trained his eye on her, "I only popped in for a few minutes to see what it was all about."

With that comment, he turned his attention back to assessing the room. A small voice reminded her of what she needed to tell him, but she hesitated, unsure if this would be an appropriate place to discuss such things.

Taking a deep breath she focused on forming sentences that would make sense, "Sir, about Project T.A.H.I.T.I.-"

"What about it?" the Director drawled out, not looking at her-clearly distracted by something.

She decided to carry on regardless, "Sir, I can no longer continue my position as head of the project. I regret to say this, but I want to resign. The whole idea-the basis of what Project T.A.H.I.T.I. actually is….I can no longer continue in good conscience and suggest that you shut down the project immediately."

She was met with silence once she finished. And for a moment she wondered if he hadn't heard her, but then he spoke slowly:

"I thought you wanted to head a project for the longest time, Coulson."

He sounded…grave….as if he was disappointed in her but was trying to hide it. Her heart sunk. It was never her intention to upset him-to throw him a curveball, but she would never feel right if she continued things the way they were.

Nick Fury glanced at her, "No matter. I accept your resignation, Coulson. I expect to see you at work on Monday."

"Yes, sir." She replied automatically. He edged away from her, wanting to leave but she stopped him with her question, "Does this mean you will no longer continue T.A.H.I.T.I.?"

A pause.

"No. It does not."

With that, he left her to her own devices.

* * *

Come to think of it, Pippa had never seen him in a tuxedo-or a suit for that matter. So when he appeared by her side and ordered a drink, she managed to catch a small glimpse of his figure from the corner of her eye, and was stunned.

She always thought that he was rather good looking, but him standing there in all his glory really did seal the deal. He was truly handsome-the type of 'old' fashioned handsome that could only be found in relics from the past-such as photographs or movies.

But he wasn't a photograph.

And he wasn't from a movie.

He was real.

Doing her best to act in an inconspicuous manner, she smoothed out some wrinkles that her dress had formed. She refused to be a blubbering mess near him-or give him any of her attention. There was nothing to be said between the two.

Everything had been said beforehand.

The clink of glass against the counter told her he had finished his drink.

She waited with baited breath.

She didn't want to talk to him.

But at the same time she did.

"You look beautiful tonight, Pippa."

She looked at him even though a small voice in her head told her to ignore him. She planned to say something, to give him a piece of her mind-to demand answers, but her thoughts turned into nothings.

He looked utterly handsome.

And all she could do was stare.

"Refill?" the bartender's voice questioned, holding up the emptied glass.

Steve shook his head as he tossed a five dollar bill on the counter, "I think it's done it's job."

With that, he tucked her arm in his and escorted her to the dance floor. And for some strange reason she couldn't find it in her to argue-to escape his grasp and abandon him. The sound of a wavering bugle reached her ears as she tried to make herself say something. She bristled, turning to face him and distance herself a bit, "You got a drink just to talk to me, didn't you?"

The thought made a surge of irritation run through her.

"If you think that, then you don't know me as much as I thought Pippa." Steve told her before pausing for a moment, eyes faltering and then, "I needed some courage to dance...with you."

Oh.

She felt her cheeks turn red.

She didn't know how to respond to his statement.

She never did know how to respond.

An old fashioned kind of voice-the kind that wavers with every word began to fill in the room:

_I could make you care if only you'd let me _

"Well, I'll have you know that I don't dance Steve Rogers." She declared, crossing her arms defensively. She refused to ever dance again. It resurrected memories that she didn't want.

As if he truly didn't hear her, he placed his right hand gently on her waist, and entwined his left hand with her right. She swallowed, suddenly nervous. Her heart rammed against her chest, "Steve, what are you doing?"

_I could make you care, you'd never forget me_

"Dancing with you." He stated as if it was obvious. He said it so bluntly that it made her eyes widen ever so slightly-not noticeable to the untrained eye, but noticeable enough to him, "I'm ignoring the fact that I have two left feet and that I'll probably step on your feet so I can dance with you."

She immediately replied-no hesitation on her part as she scowled slightly at him-her cheeks truly aflame, "You shouldn't say those things to me."

"Why not?" he asked, almost in an exasperated tone. A flash of frustration ran through his eyes, but it was quickly masked. He took a small breath, as if to calm himself and then asked quietly, "Why not?"

_I can't resist, I'd be a fool to try_

_"__Because they're words you should say to someone else. And I might actually believe you."_ A voice in her head whispered. She refused to say it out loud, but her conscience rang true-loud and clear. Instead, she looked away towards the makeshift stage where the singer crooned, "I didn't know you liked Frank Sinatra."

"This song came about in the 1940s." he simply said.

She didn't know what to say so she remained quiet.

_I know if once we kissed, I could kiss my heart goodbye_

"Pippa, I-"

"Rogers, you told me you'd save me a turn." A voice interjected. Startled, Pippa jumped a little as Natasha waltzed by with Atticus in tow, looking glamorous in the deep red tones of her dress-a perfect complement to her auburn hair. Her red lips curved in a smile, "Would you mind if we switch partners for a moment?"

Pippa suddenly found herself next to Atticus as Natasha grabbed Steve. Shooting her an apologetic look the blonde sighed as Natasha guided him deeper onto the dance floor. Atticus glanced at her as she watched the pair disappear.

And then:

"I think I'm going to head home." She told the NASA scientist. Running a hand through her hair (which messed up the neat curls to a certain extent) she then excused herself. There was no reason for her to stay. She was free to leave as she pleased now that her partner was gone. Hurrying through the crowd, she bumped shoulders with the back of a figure:

Clint.

"Pippa." The archer stated-looking a bit surprised as she stood there. He looked dashing in his tux, and Pippa felt her mouth run dry at the thought that he looked rather attractive, "You danced rather well with the Captain."

She pursed her lips, avoiding his gaze-her eyes studying the waxed immaculate flooring, "I had a teacher, did I not?"

Pausing for a moment to regain her composure she then muttered a 'excuse me' before brushing past him-the fabric of his starched suit and the cap sleeve of her dress smooth like water as she moved.

"Pippa, wait! I'll walk you home." Atticus offered, hurrying after her.

* * *

The door was ajar.

Only slightly, but it was.

The back of her neck prickled. Adrenaline pumped through her veins. Her left hand instantly skimmed her waist-a habit of hers due to the fact that her gun was usually clipped to her side when she was on S.H.I.E.L.D. duty. Glancing at Atticus who looked at her with a questioning look in his eyes, she motioned him to be quiet.

Bounding up the few stairs as quietly as she could, she peered through the crack of the door. Darkness kept everything hidden from her sight, even when she slipped through the doorway and waited for her eyes to adjust.

Something crackled under the weight of her feet-like bones.

Like glass.

And some sticky substance weighed down her shoe.

She searched for the light switch on the wall quickly, her hands dancing across the walls.

And then:

A mere second-as if someone had suddenly dropped a match. Flames tried to lick her skin as they ran past her and deeper into her abode. She gasped, trying to move. And that's when she noticed a trail of some kind of flammable fluid was created all through the house.

_"__It's going to all burn."_ She thought frantically.

"Atticus, you have to get out of here." she found herself saying as she tried to think of all the things she could quickly grab before the place collapsed. She needed her pictures. The Trading Cards.

"I'm not going anywhere, and you aren't either."

She found that she couldn't breathe. Not because of the strong acidic smell that burnt her nose and lungs, but because a strong masculine hand was clasped over her mouth and she found herself suddenly closed in an iron strong grip. She instinctively tried to scream, but it came out as a muffled strangled kind of noise.

She slammed her heel down on something.

A foot.

The grip tightened around her as a small grunt of pain ran through the thickening air.

Atticus.

"It isn't personal Pippa-it's just business," Atticus' voice rung through the air in a somewhat amused tone.

_Atticus. _

What on earth was he doing?

She tried to remove his hand off of her mouth but it was a tiring impossible task. So instead, she tried to slam his foot again with her own-but this time he was prepared and skillfully avoided it. The heat that radiated off the roaring fire made her skin feel as if it was blistering-and the thick smoke created a searing pain in her throat.

_"__Someone will come."_ She found herself chanting, _"Someone will see the fire. I just need to stall him in the meantime." _

"You know what they say:

Hail HYRDRA."

_Crack._

Darkness ensued.

* * *

**END OF PART ONE**

* * *

**Note:** Didn't see that coming, did you?

Alright so first of all thank you so much for your support! I never thought this story was going to be this big-it amazes me. Thank You! You guys are so nice to me and I really appreciate it!

I'd also like to discuss my next update. **This chapter concludes Part One. Unfortunately in the next coming months I will be very busy so as of now the next upload (Part Two) is tentatively scheduled for SPRING 2016.** I know that's a very long time away and I apologize, but unless you can create longer days, we'll all have to wait until Spring. Good news wise: Captain America: Civil War is coming out in the Spring so hopefully I can include some of that!

**I also want to dissolve any confusions. I do want to continue this story. In fact, I have every intention to do so, and have plans to bring Pippa into Captain America: Winter Soldier, Avengers: Age of Ultron and possibly Captain America: Civil War. **

**Does this means that she ends up with the Captain? No, absolutely not. Does me denying the fact mean she ends up with Hawkeye. No, absolutely not. **

I hope you guys understand, and I also hope you'll guys will wait for the next installment although if you decide not to, I understand as well. If you want to stay in contact with me until spring, don't hesitate to PM me.

I look forward to Spring!

Much love,

_The Painted Green Door_


	19. Extra

**Author's Note:** Hello! Did you miss me? I missed all of you! Please Read extended Author's Note below! As a quick FYI this is supposed to take after the last chapter.

* * *

**Extra:**

"Dr. Goodman just informed me that vitals seem to be stable, sir. Mobilization at the current time seems reasonable." Maria Hill announced smoothly as she entered the pristine barren room-well almost barren. Against one wall was a cot and a rather jumbled collection of machinery. No windows. Hill glanced towards the new addition to the room: the body.

Fury said nothing and gave no sign that he heard the agent's report. Instead, he continued to stare at the floor, his head bowed and his back hunched over. It was a common pose of his lately.

Hill cleared her throat, "Sir."

"Yes, I heard." Fury said, drawn out of his thoughts. He then stiffly got up from the metal chair that was placed beside the makeshift bed, "Prepare the mobilization to the safe house."

He then glanced around the room for a swift moment before turning on his heel, trying to escape the scene. Wanting to be left alone for the time being he then added, "I trust you with that responsibility Hill."

Instead however, Hill followed him wordlessly out of the room and into the dimly lit corridor. Fury suppressed a sigh and the wave of weariness that threatened to bubble up inside of him.

"Sir, is this wise? Shouldn't-Shouldn't someone-Sir, Agent Coulson _died_. Surely some memories will be resurrected-"

Fury shook his head, not bothering to look behind him, "No. Coulson must never know. Her death and her resurrection must _always _be kept a secret."

A pause.

Then he continued down the corridor.

"Have a good day, Agent Hill."

* * *

**Note:** Thoughts? Feedback?

**I know some of you were upset Project T.A.H.I.T.I. did not take place while others were relieved since they thought the resurrection of Coulson on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. seemed unrealistic.** But I decided to include it-not because Loki's stabbing but because of HYDRA and Atticus's doing. **After all, we still don't know what exactly happened after Pippa blacked out. **

On the other hand a happy late Holidays! Happy Friday! And Happy New Years! Take this small extra as my gift to all of you. T**hank you so much for all the support and love you have shown me and this story! *hugs***

Life has been so busy lately but I hope to be back writing_ very_ soon!

Oh and about that **safe house** that Fury mentioned...**where do you think it is?** I look forward to hearing your guesses, and I know at least one of you will get it right!

Much love,

_The Painted Green Door_


	20. Important Information: Sequel Up!

**Author's Note:** Hello all! First of all I would like to apologize for the very long delay. These past few months have been extremely busy with academics as well as other events that have taken place recently. A couple of days ago I had the chance to see _Captain America: Civil War_, and it really energized me to look back at Trading Cards and reevaluate the story. And I realized that the story was rather horribly written. Perhaps it should be kept around as a sign of my progress when it comes to writing, but when I look at the rather childish writing I cringe. So then I find myself at a loss of what to do. Do I continue Trading Cards or do I start a separate story? I think the best thing would to do would to continue Trading Cards because I know that many wonderful readers out there are waiting patiently for the next update. But I think for the sake of my mental happiness I should at least start 'fresh'.

**Therefore the next addition to _Trading Cards_ (the second part of the story-or sequel as you may call it) will not be added to this story. Instead, you will be able to find the sequel, _Trading Hearts_, on my page under stories. I apologize for any inconvenience. This action of starting 'fresh' may seem ridiculous or useless, but it makes me feel better-I suppose it is a way to separate my past writing from my present, and future writing. I apologize for the silliness. I appreciate all the support for this story and hope you enjoy _Trading Hearts._ Happy reading!**

**IMPORTANT: Some new developments have taken place, therefore I ask you to please disregard the previous Part Two Prologue that had been posted on this story. The Part Two Prologue on this story will be deleted promptly. **

I look forward to hearing from you lovely readers. Thank you so much for all of the support you have given me. It's unbelievable and I am so thankful.

Much love,

The Painted Green Door


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